Page 6 of The Kidnapped

“Monty, my stuffed monkey, used to sleep with me in this bed,” Hollis said, smiling at the warm memories that came rushing into her mind. “And you and I colored over there.” She pointed to the small rainbow-colored rug next to the bed. “I had my art supplies in the closet. You’d pull them out for me, and we’d…”

“Sit on the floor for hours. You loved to color,” Olivia finished for her. “And your books are still here. They might be worse for wear, though – I read them to myself often. Silly. They’re children’s books.”

“Mom, nothing you’ve done is silly,” Hollis told her, turning toward her. “He took me from you. You did what you had to do to take care of yourself.”

Her mother nodded and said, “I didn’t know how much I missed being called that until you said it at the door earlier. The last time I was called ‘Mom,’ I dropped you off at school, and you said, ‘I love you, Mommy.’”

“I remember now,” she replied. “You told me you’d pick me up, and I was surprised when Dad was there instead. He told me you were still at work, I think. It’s hard to remember everything. He… Well, he told me things that, I’m starting to believe, aren’t true, so everything’s just mixed together in my head. I’m still trying to sort through it.”

“Honey, I am so sorry,” Olivia said, sitting down on the bed, needing a rest. “I had no idea he was that angry with me. Your grandmother and I were worried about his drinking, so we’d asked the judge for full custody and supervised visits until he could get it under control.”

“He drank?” Hollis asked, sitting beside her mother.

“Like a fish,” her mother replied, shaking her head. “He also smoked like a chimney. He quit both when we brought you home, and things were good for a while, but then, the fighting started, and he was drinking and smoking again. I didn’t want it in the house, so we separated. Then, he got a DUI, and when I filed for divorce, the judge only gave him those supervised visits until he could find an apartment that had a bedroom for you and until he got a job and could pay child support. I never thought he’d take you away from me. He was your father, though, so he was technically authorized to pick you up from school, and when I showed up to get you, your teacher told me he’d picked you up already.” The older woman took a moment to catch her breath.

Hollis watched her mother, who was clearly in pain, and she had so many questions to ask her about cancer, her treatment, and her prognosis. She’d heard from the agent in Vancouver that he didn’t think her mom had long, based on their conversation, but Hollis needed to know more than that. She needed to know how much time they had because she had so many questions. She wanted to know what kind of life she might have had if her mother had been able to pick her up from school that day. She wanted to know what her mother had wished for their life together. She wanted to get advice from her. How did she get wine stains out of clothes? How did she cook a perfect lasagna? What made a great relationship? How did she know she was ready to get married and have kids? How would Hollis know?

“You know, the funny thing… I wasn’t even worried when your teacher told me that,” Olivia continued. “I just thought maybe he’d gotten his license back; maybe he just wanted to take you out for ice cream or something, and when I’d come home, you’d be there with him. When I got there, I called him. He didn’t answer. I left a message and waited. After a while, I went over to his apartment, saw his car was there, knocked and knocked, but he didn’t answer. That’s when I got worried. I went back home, in case you were there, but you still weren’t, so I called the police.”

“He had a different truck, and he told me we were going on an adventure. We drove for hours, so I fell asleep. When I woke up, though, we were still in the truck. I don’t know how far we drove before he stopped, but I remember a few motels. Then, we were in this really old house by a lake. We weren’t on the water or anything, but we went to the lake a lot. I guess we were in Michigan. That’s what the FBI told me.”

Olivia nodded and said, “We have time to go back and talk about it all. I want to hear whatever you want to share, but I’d also like it if you would tell me about your life now. I only know what the agents told me, and I found a little online. I’m old, but I can use Google.”

Hollis laughed and said, “I can tell you anything you want to know. Will you tell me all about you, too, though?”

“Of course, sweetie,” her mother replied before the phone she’d carried in with them rang. “It’s Kenna. She must have gotten my message.”

Olivia had called the reporter, Kenna Crawford, after they’d finished their tea and had left a message letting the woman know that not only had they found Hollis, but she was also sitting right there next to her.

“Hello,” she said into the phone after she put it on speaker.

“Olivia, how are you?” Kenna asked.

“I’m much better now,” Olivia replied. “My daughter’s home.”

Hollis smiled at her mother.

“Olivia, I am so happy for you. Was it really my book?”

“She saw her photo on the cover and came home to me,” Olivia shared.

“That makes me so happy. I can’t believe it. You found her. You never gave up, and you found your daughter.”

“She found me because of you, so, thank you, Kenna,” Olivia said.

“You never have to thank me,” Kenna replied. “I’m just so happy for you both. How are things going? She’s there now?”

“She’s right here. I have you on speaker.”

“Hello,” Hollis said awkwardly.

“Hello,” Kenna said back excitedly. “It’s Heidi, right? Your mom said in the message that–”

“Hollis is fine,” she interrupted. “I’m going to go back to my name.”

“And you’re okay? You’re safe?”

“I’m good now,” Hollis told her. “Just lots to sort through, obviously. My father kidnapped me and is now in jail because I figured out who I really was. I’ve now also left my life in Vancouver, and I’m seeing my mom for the first time in thirty years while sitting in my childhood bedroom. It’s a lot to unpack,” she added, trying to laugh it off.

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