Page 59 of Nico
Together, they moved deeper into the museum, laughter echoing softly as Gracie tugged Sadie along, eager to explore every corner.
"She's an adorable child."
Sadie looked over at the woman who had a toddler on one hip and a huge tote the size of Idaho on her left shoulder.
"She is." She smiled at the little tow-headed boy who was staring at her with unblinking blue eyes. "What's his name?"
"Eric. My name is Sara."
"Sadie, nice to meet you."
"Are you a full-time nanny?"
The question threw her for a second and had her blinking. Of course, it was natural for the woman to mistake her for Gracie's nanny. It should have occurred to her.
"I'm not her nanny."
The coolness of her tone got through and had the woman blushing furiously. "Oh! Me and my big mouth." She patted the air agitatedly with her free hand. "My husband Bert is always telling me that I don't have the brain God gives me. I'm so sorry."
"It's fine." She looked down at Gracie who had wandered over and was tugging at her jacket.
"I want to go potty."
Scooping the little girl into her arms, she gave the woman a formal nod.
"Let's go find you the little girl's room."
Gracie found that very funny and started giggling.
After they had both relieved themselves, Gracie insisted on going to some very quaint drawings done by children in the playroom. Sadie had just stepped over to examine a fascinating painting with a story attached to it, when she turned around and noticed that Gracie was not where she had left her.
"Gracie? Honey, where are you?" Parents with children were streaming into the room, but there was no sign of the little girl.
Reminding herself that children tend to wander, she tamped down the panic. Hurrying from the room, she went into the different sections to look for the little girl. A surge of relief when she spotted a familiar head of blonde curls turned to panic when the little girl turned out to be someone else.
"Gracie?" Her heart beating frantically now, she rushed into several other sections without success. Weak with fear and imagining all sorts of scenarios, she hurried over to a security guard.
"I cannot find my-- a child I came with." She gave a description of Gracie and what she had on.
"This happens all the time." The man gave her a reassuring smile. "It takes a second for the little ones to wander off. Let me make an announcement."
"Thank you." Wringing her hands, she waited while the man went into a booth to make the announcement.
Expecting to see Gracie racing towards her, she stood in the center of the room and waited. When ten minutes had elapsed and there was no sign of the child, Sadie felt the ball of fear lodging inside her chest.
"We have some of the guards looking for her. I'm sure she just wandered into one of the playrooms."
"I have to call her dad and the police." Sadie felt as if she was living a nightmare.
Dragging out her phone, she called Nico, and it went straight to voicemail. Not wasting time calling him again, she tried Nadine, all the while hoping and praying that Gracie would suddenly appear.
"Hi, how's the outing?"
"I've been trying Nico, but he's not answering his phone." She rushed into the section where they had seen the dinosaurs andnothing. Children streamed in and out, but no sign of the little girl.
"Are you all right?"
"I can't find Gracie."
