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he wanted me to talk to the cops so they could find my mother quicker, but the thought of leaving him now was impossible.
    “ Daddy, please, just a few more minutes,” I said, silent tears brimming. If I’d thought seeing my father cry was bad, seeing him in that bed, with the sling around his arm, was a million times worse.
    “ Of course, baby,” he said, reaching out to cup my chin. His eyes softened. “I didn’t mean to rush you out.”
    “ I stole a car,” I suddenly blurted out. I still don’t know why I chose that particular time to come clean with that. Maybe it was just part of an overall purging process as I tried to deal with everything that had happened. I was amazed when Dad broke into a grin and chuckled slightly.
    “ Did you now?”
    “ Well, Boon did,” I said, my eyes on the ground.
    “ I don’t care. I mean, I do, and we’re going to talk about that, but if you had to steal a jet plane to get you safely away from that situation, I wouldn’t be mad,” he said. “I’m just so happy you’re safe.”
    “ Daddy, I’m so sorry. I thought he was worth it, but he’s not. He just…he just left! You were right,” I said, gaze still glued to the floor.
    “ Well, maybe I was right, maybe I wasn’t. It doesn’t matter now. But it’s not your fault, and you can’t think that it is. It’s not. And I mean…well, I’m sorry he hurt you, baby. You know I’d kill anyone who hurt you. But he didn’t…well, he’s still just a kid. He might seem old to you, but he’s just a kid to me. And he’s gonna regret leaving you until the day he dies.”
    “ I just…what are we going to do? What if something happens to Mom?” Even as I spoke the words, I felt panic creeping back into me.
    “ Nothing is going to happen to Mom,” Dad said, his gaze growing as stern as his voice. “Don’t you dare think that something is going to happen to her. I promise you, the whole damn force is out there looking for her. They’re gonna find her, Sammy, and they’re gonna bring her home in one piece.”
    I nodded, not believing him but happy just to hear the words in his voice. For once, I was happy for him to be speaking so sternly to me. It was like he was commanding me to believe him, and I wanted to obey that command.
    “ But they’ll find her a lot quicker if they have your testimony to help them,” he added. “I’m going to be fine, Samantha. Go talk to my men. Tell them everything you know.”
    I nodded again, reaching out to grab his hand.
    “ Okay, Daddy. I will. I promise,” I said. That, at least, would be an easy promise to keep. I looked down at him once more, feeling my heart ache. Then I turned quickly, knowing that if I stayed a little bit longer they would need seven men to carry me away. He’s safe. He’s alive and he’s going to be okay and he’s safe, I thought.
    In that moment, even with everything else I didn’t know, even with my mother still missing, that one fact was enough. My father was safe.
     

     
    Alicia, Becky, and Kevin were waiting for me as I let the door click shut behind me.
    “ Ready?” Kevin asked, tentative. I nodded, too choked up to speak. Alicia and Becky flanked me again as we left the hospital. We followed Kevin’s squad car to the station, and Alicia and Becky didn’t leave my side until the absolute last moment.
    “ Do you want us to wait for you?”
    I shook my head no. It could be hours, and they weren’t exactly going to be allowed to hold my hand through the whole process.
    “ I’ll just call you later? Can I stay at one of your houses tonight?”
    “ Abso-fucking-lutely,” Alicia said, grabbing my hand. “Call us whenever. Even just to cry. We’ll come pick you up later, okay?” I nodded and let them both wrap me in a big hug, savoring the small moment of comfort. As they pulled away and walked out the door, I felt more alone than I’d ever felt in my life.
    “ Ready, Samantha?” Kevin’s voice came from behind me, softly,