Page 54 of Echoes of Eternity

“How dare you not care that our daughter is missing!” She came around the desk and shoved him hard enough to cause his steps to stagger. “Elizabeth is gone and you’re just in here working? It’s like you don’t care at all.”

Touching his forehead, he shook his head. “Emily, you don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”

“Please enlighten me, Ryan.” Placing a hand on her hip, she waited for his response.

“I do care. I’m concerned about her as much as you are, but I also have to work and provide. I can’t just stop living because she is missing.” He shook his head as tears welled in his eyes. He came closer, touching both of her arms softly as he peered into her eyes. “I’m so worried about her . . . where she is, what she is doing . . . I struggle to sleep, eat, and function. But I also know she’s not a little child. She can take care of herself pretty well. More than anything, though? I focus on God and pray He is watching over her and protecting her.”

She started to cry and her legs weakened. He moved closer and caught her before she fell.

Smoothing her messy hair away from her wet and swollen eyes, he looked into her eyes steadily. “We’re going to find her. Everything is going to be okay.”

She shook her head as she stood upright. “You can’t say that, Ryan. You have no idea!”

Pulling her in by the hips, he shook his head. “Though I can’t tell the future, I know God is good and He is with us. No matter what happens, His hand is in our lives.”

Hearing her cellphone ring from the bedroom, Emily sprinted out of the study and down the hall. Slipping on the hardwood floor in the hallway on her way into the bedroom, she hit her head against the door frame and fell with a loud thud.

Ryan came running and picked her up off the floor. He inspected her forehead. She tried to push him away in order to get to the phone.

He stopped her. “Slow down, Em.”

“But that could be her! Or someone calling about her!”

Ryan furrowed his eyebrows as he brought his hand down from her forehead. He showed her a smear of red blood streaking across his palm. “Please slow down, love.”

She stood up and walked away, then went quickly into the room and over to the bed. She lifted her cellphone as Ryan walked in.

“Ugh.” She tossed her phone back onto the bed. “It was my mom . . . again.”

“Isn’t that the fourth time in two days? Why won’t you talk to her?” Ryan walked into the bedroom, his eyes on her.

“I can’t deal with her right now. I’d break down and cry if I spoke with her about all that’s going on. She’s critical of me with everyday life. I couldn’t imagine how she’d act if she knew Elizabeth ran away.”

Her phone buzzed on the bed.

It was a text from her mother.

Zeena: She’s here. She’s safe.

Emily dropped her phone.

“What is it?” Ryan came closer to Emily.

The shock hit, followed by relief, then confusion and anger set in. “She’s with my parents in California?”

“What?” Ryan shook his head and then sighed deeply.

Picking her phone back up, she tapped her mother’s name to call her. Placing it on speaker as Ryan came closer, they waited for an answer.

Emily didn’t wait for even a hello.

“Why is she there?”

“Listen, Emily. Calm down.”

“No. Explain to me now how and why my daughter made it clear to California and to your house!” Smoothing a hand through her hair, Emily sat down on the bed. Ryan sat beside her.

“She’s been struggling for a while, Emily. You know that, I know that, and Ryan knows it too. The other day, she asked if she could borrow some money to have fun with friends. I had no idea what she was planning. I promise. I’m so sorry.”

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