The jolt of the plane hitting the runway startled Emily awake. She had been dreaming of the weekend, of their walk on the beach, their failed attempt at breakfast that morning when Nathan’s sudden need to eat her had resulted in burnt pancakes and the relentless beeping of the smoke detector. Emily was a restless sleeper, so the fact that she had passed out against Nathan’s arm spoke volumes. He kissed her the rest of the way awake, and she smiled into his mouth.
“Thank you. For the trip. For everything really.”
“First of many, Emily. I want us to go every chance we get.”
“Sounds perfect.”
Nathan reached into his pocket and withdrew his phone. He prepared to power it on, and she did the same.
“Ready for the real world?” He gave a tired smile.
“As I’ll ever be.”
It was as if an alarm had sounded at a firehouse. Dozens of email alerts, texts, and missed calls. Emily quickly scrolled through for a message from her father, worried that something had happened to him. Even Caroline had tried to call from LA Then she saw it. Caroline had sent the link in her first text. She set the phone on her lap and stared at the screen with her hands hanging limply at her sides. She was slipping away mentally as she read the New York Post headline:
Emily Webster “The Vanished Baby” Found Alive in New York City
The child abduction that broke the heart of a nation has a surprise happy ending this week as the breathtaking child of privilege, Emily Webster, was discovered rescued and living a quiet, anonymous life working for a news blog in upper Manhattan.
Emily just stared at the screen. She could see the words, but it was like they had no meaning, like she was reading a foreign language. It took her a moment to notice the two strong hands on her thighs, and for the echo of Nathan’s voice to grow clearer.
“Emily, look at me.”
Her neutral gaze met his.
“I’ve been outed.”
“So it would seem.”
“Okay, I should call my father.”
“Emily.”
“He has a plan in place for this.”
“Emily.”
“It means going dark. Again. But we knew this was a possibility.”
Nathan stopped her by putting both hands on her cheeks and squaring her face to his as he kneeled before her.
“Emily, come back to me.”
“I will. You know I will find a way to contact you.”
“No. Now. Come back to me right now.”
She stared at him for a long moment, but slowly she reengaged. She kept her eyes locked with his and braced herself as a wave of anguish washed over her. She slid to her knees in front of him and buried her head in his lap.
“I hate myself like this.”
“Are you kidding? I’m crazy about you like this. Anything is preferable to that emotional disappearing act.”
“Caroline calls it ‘robot mode.’ I can’t control it.”
“I know.”
“What now?” she asked on a deep inhale.