Chapter 25

Chapter 25
I arrive back in the living room just as my mother-in-law announces that dinner is ready. My son takes off into the dining room and I help him into his booster seat and slide his chair under the table. We all take our seats and then Shaye’s husband blesses the food. When he’s done we all dig in and have light conversation. Once dinner is over we all say goodnight and tell Shaye that we’re all glad to have her home and that we know Renee’ will coming home soon as well. I tuck my son into his bed where he insists on sleeping once again and go to my room. After I shower and dress for bed, I lay awake for a while just thinking about my wife. I think about her smile, laugh, the way she walks, the face she makes when she’s angry or sad, and just her general personality. Even though she knows how to use a gun she’s against violence, but the tenacity that I saw come out of her when I told her that this person wanted me to give up my company in exchange for our daughter. She believes in family, loyalty, honor, and told me that the company is our children’s legacy and that we would get our daughter back another way. We were just about to deploy our plan when all of this happened at the restaurant. I’m kind of glad we couldn’t go through with that plan because I don’t think that I could have been away from my wife for an indefinite amount of time to carry out this plan. We haven’t been separated from each other since she was kidnapped and raped years ago.
The next morning I awoke once again to my son cuddled up next to me in bed and I just laughed. I went downstairs to begin breakfast to find that someone had beat me to it already.
“Good morning Jay, did you sleep well?”
“Good morning Shaye. I slept alright, but aren’t you supposed to be taking it easy?”
“I couldn’t stay still any longer. All I’ve done for what seems like forever is lie in a bed. I need to move around and do something. I was going crazy the whole time that I was in that hospital.”

“Well it was for your own good otherwise you wouldn’t be home now. I’m glad you’re doing better. I wish Renee’ would wake up soon.”
“Well, we have to just keep praying and I’m sure that she’ll be out of there in no time.”
“No offense, but I’m really starting to get tired of hearing that from people. I know that they mean well, but it almost feels like they’re somehow assuming that I’m not praying or don’t know that I should be praying. That’s all I’ve done since she was kidnapped years ago. It’s the only thing that I know to do.”
“I understand what you mean. Honestly I think that people say that when they don’t know what else to tell someone. Believe me we all know that you’re praying for my sister and I don’t believe that any of us doubt that, but at the same time we’re all scared.”
“What do you mean?”
“My niece is missing, someone attacked me and my sister in a restaurant bathroom, and we still have no idea who is behind any of this. We are all worried about what could happen next. Nobody is saying it because they don’t want to upset you or scare Nicholas, but what if this person comes after him next? It seems like whoever it is will do anything to get what they want from you.”
“I can see why you all would be scared, I mean they didn’t kidnap her off the street or at the park, this happened here in our house. I’m working very hard to find the person that did this and they are going to pay for all the pain they’ve caused our family. We do know that the person is a woman like your sister thought, but what I haven’t told you all yet is that my team thinks that it could be an ex-girlfriend of mine. Everyone that my team has interrogated doesn’t fit the profile of the kidnapper though there is one that they haven’t been able to locate yet. I don’t know which ones they’ve contacted, so I couldn’t tell you which one of them they are still trying to find.”
“Well I hope that they find her soon so we can end this madness. I want my niece and sister to be alright and home.”
“That’s what I want too, more than anything in this world. Hopefully we’ll have a lead on where my daughter is soon and we can bring her home before her mother wakes up. It would be wonderful for her to wake up and all of this is over instead of her waking up to her daughter still missing.”

“Yeah, that would be wonderful.”
“Well I have to get Nicholas up so that he can come have breakfast. I’ll see you in a few.”
“Alright, well I have to finish cooking this bacon so I can start on the eggs. Can you tell everyone else that breakfast is almost ready when you go back upstairs?”
“You got it sis.”
When I get upstairs I knock on all the doors telling everyone that breakfast is ready and then head to my room to get Nicholas. He is already up and in my bathroom brushing his teeth.
“Mornin’ mama, I ready for breakfast.” He’s smiling and has a face full of toothpaste. I laugh and walk over to him.
“Good morning Nicky. How about we wash your face before we go downstairs for breakfast? Your aunt is cooking this morning and waiting for you downstairs.”
“Okay mama.”
I wet a towel and begin washing his face, then I comb his hair and we head downstairs together. He runs to his aunt the minute he sees her in the dining room and gives her a big hug.
“Mornin’ nanny! Mama said you were waiting for me.”
“Good morning Nicholas. Your mama told you the truth. I’ve been waiting for my little rabbit to get down here so I can hug and kiss him.” He giggles and hugs her tighter while she rains kisses on his face. This would all be perfect if Alexa and Renee’ were here with us.

After breakfast everyone gets ready to go to the hospital, but I tell them that I’ll go by there later and to inform me if there are any changes. They all leave without questioning me and Shaye puts her hand on my shoulder as she passes by me. I cover her hand for a second before she continues walking out the door. Once they are heading down the drive-way, I go back up to my room and lie down in my bed. I don’t feel like being around anyone today. Actually I just want a little time to myself without having to be strong for anyone or have answers to questions. For once I just want to be weak and without answers, which isn’t really that far from the truth. I’m weak without my family. I know that I have my son, but my family isn’t whole until I have my wife and daughter back home. We’re going to go back to Lake Charles and move into our new house which should be finished by the time we get back. The new house was going to be a surprise for Renee’ since I know that she isn’t comfortable in the townhouse anymore plus we were going to need more room anyway with two children. I must have fallen asleep without knowing it because I wake up panting and sweating from a crazy dream. There was a woman with dark brown hair and green eyes standing over my daughter telling her that she was never going to see her family again. There was something strangely familiar about the woman, but I couldn’t put my finger on what that was at the moment. When I look at the clock I see that I’ve been asleep for four hours. I jump up and take a quick shower before heading to the hospital. Once I get there the rest of the family is getting ready to leave for some lunch. I tell them that I’ll see them later and go in to visit my wife. She’s still in the same condition and though that should be a good thing, I am always hoping for a different answer. I talk to her about Nicholas and about what we’re going to do when we get back home. I tell her that I have a surprise for her when we get back and that the businesses are doing great and they’re all wondering when we’re coming home. I told her that I told them we like it so much that we decided to extend our vacation but that we’ll be back. After talking to her for hours, I tell her that I have to get home and get our son ready for bed and getting him some dinner. I promised her that he was eating home cooked meals every night and not fast food. I know how much she hates for them to eat too much fast food.