Page 7 of The Kidnapped

“I can imagine,” Kenna said. “Listen, I don’t know how long you’re staying, but I’ve been working with kidnapped children and adults, as well as the families of kidnapped victims, for a while now, and there’s a group. I don’t know if you need or want this right now – it’s so new still – but there’s a group that meets one town over from where your mom lives. I happen to know the person who runs it. I can give you the information, if you ever want to go talk to some people who have been through at least some of what you’re going through.”

Hollis hadn’t thought about talking to anyone other than her mother about this.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she replied. “I don’t know that I need that.”

“No problem. It was just a thought. I interview people for my show all over the country, so I have a lot of resources at my disposal. If you need anything, just let me know. Your mom has my number.”

“You’re a reporter. Do you always take such an interest in cases you cover?” Hollis asked curiously.

“Not always. But your mom made an impression on me. I’ve met a lot of parents looking for their missing children, and your mother never ever gave up on you. She followed every single lead herself whenever she could. She was tireless and pushy sometimes, too.” Kenna laughed.

Olivia laughed, too.

“She reminded me of me. I get called… assertive, at times,” Kenna added.

“She means annoying,” Olivia said, laughing a little more.

“My wife called me that a few times when we first met,” Kenna replied. “Yesterday, too, I believe. Anyway, I won’t push you, but I can email you everything I have that you might want. If you need it at some point, you go to the group. If not, you don’t.”

“Okay. Thanks. That would be great,” Hollis said.

“And because I am annoying, I have to ask…”

“I knew it!” Olivia coughed a bit but laughed through it. “You want a story.”

“Well, I have to ask. It’s in my nature. Would you two be willing to talk to me on the show about what happened and how you two found each other again? Not tomorrow, obviously; I’m not trying to rush you. But we already did one episode on what happened, so I’d love to bookend it. You live close by the studio, and we could get some shots of the house. I–”

“I don’t know,” Olivia said. “It’s up to Hollis.”

Hollis looked at her mother and asked, “Do you want to?”

“I’d honestly do just about anything for Kenna. She wrote a book that brought you home to me. She also helped me find a therapist who’d worked with parents of missing children. She even did an episode on you to help me find you, and your picture is still on the show’s website.”

“It is,” Kenna confirmed. “I’ll have to take it down. God, this is such great news! I’m so happy for you two.”

“If my mom is okay with it, it’s fine with me,” Hollis told Kenna then. “But I’m not great with being on camera, so maybe take it easy on me.”

“Of course,” Kenna replied. “Now, my wife is staring at me, so I think that means I have to go. Do I have to go, Rip?”

“Yes. Your daughter needs you to look over her spelling homework like you said you’d do an hour ago,” someone said from far away on the other end of the phone.

“That’s how Ripley warns me that I’m in trouble… She reminds me that I said I’d do something.” Kenna chuckled. “She’s right, though: I have spelling homework to check. And you two have a lot of catching up to do. How about I send you that information later tonight, and I’ll call you in a few days?”

“That sounds fine,” Olivia said. “Thank you, Kenna.”

“You never have to thank me.”

They hung up the phone, and Hollis stared at the closet door, which had a poster of the Care Bears on it.

“Do you want to open about thirty birthday and Christmas presents?” her mother asked her.

Hollis laughed and replied, “I don’t think I can do that all at once.”

“Most of the early ones are toys, but when you got older – I don’t know – something about how you always loved to read with me made me buy you at least a book a year. You probably have more books than I do now. Most of mine are in the guest bedroom.” The woman stood up slowly. “You’re staying here, right?” she asked, sounding concerned.

“I’d love that.”

“Good. Good,” her mom said. “I’ve made up the bed in there with clean sheets. You won’t even fit in this bed anymore.”

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