by Wendy Smith
She shakes her head and shifts her view back to the TV.
Dad gets up and disappears into the kitchen to answer. “Hello? Lily? Are you okay?” Dad’s tone is panicked, and he pokes his head in the living room door. “Lily’s on the phone for you?”
“The world must be ending,” I mutter as I take the phone. It has to be pretty extreme for her to risk speaking with Mum to talk to me.
“Hey, Lily.”
“Adam, it’s Max. He’s gone.” The words tumble out in a rush in a high-pitched tone.
“What’s going on?”
“We had dinner and I tucked him into bed, but he sneaked out. I went to check on him and I can’t find him.”
I swallowed. “Could he be hiding?”
“He never has before. I’ve got the police here, but I really need you too.”
She needs me. “I’ll be right there.”
I hang up the phone and stare at it for a moment. This isn’t the way I expected her to take me up on my offer.
“Adam?” Dad touches my shoulder.
“Max is missing. Lily’s going out of her mind.”
His eyebrows dip, and he lowers his voice. “We need to talk …”
“When I get back.” Dad trails behind me as I head out the door and toward the car.
“Adam,” he calls as I climb in the front seat.
“Later, Dad.” I start the car and hit the accelerator, leaving him standing in the driveway. Whatever he has to talk to me about can wait. I’ve got more important places to be.
There’s a police car in Lily’s yard, and on either side of the house torches flash as they search for Max. My stomach churns. He’s a smart kid, but if he’s gotten into trouble … it doesn’t bear thinking about. Every light in Lily’s house is on.
I pull up near the porch and step out of the car. Turning as I hear another car behind me, I raise an eyebrow at the sight of Eric Murphy getting out of it. Did she call him too?
She’s had Eric Murphy running around after her for years. Mum’s words echo in my ears.
Despite being anxious about Max, I can’t help the jealousy running through my veins. Maybe she just called me for extra manpower to search for her son, but Eric? The sudden thought that Eric might be Max’s father leaves me nauseous. The thought of Eric touching Lily makes it worse.
“Eric?” I say as he approaches.
“Holy shit. Talk about a blast from the past. Adam Campbell?”
“Yeah. I’m home. Did Lily call you too?”
He frowns. “No. I just saw all the lights and the police car from the road. Wondered if she needed help.”
Stalking past me, he reaches the bottom of the steps as the front door swings open. Lily darts through the door, past Eric, and straight at me. I catch her just as she flings her arms around my neck, sobbing into my chest.
“Hey,” I whisper, kissing the top of her head.
“I’m sorry for calling. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m glad you called.” She’s shaking. It’s not that cold, but it is chilly. Max will be fine for a while in this, but we really need to find him.
“What’s going on?” Eric asked.
Lily raises her head, and from the surprised expression on her face, I can tell she had no idea Eric was there. “Max has run off somewhere. At least I think that’s what happened. I tucked him into bed, went back down to watch TV for a while, and when I went to check on him he’d gone.” She gasps as she speaks, taking big breaths of the night air.
“What are the cops doing?”
“There are a couple of them looking around. If they don’t find anything, they’ll form a search party.”
Tears stream down her face and instinctively I wipe them away with my fingers. “We’ll find him, Lily. I promise.”
I’ll move heaven and earth to keep that promise to her.
The police search turns up nothing but the discovery that Max’s bicycle is missing. Now we know he’s probably not on the property, but he’s out there on the dark roads on a bike with no light.
“Can you think of anywhere he might have gone?” Lily’s asked by the police for what feels like the hundredth time. We sit on the couch, her hands enveloped by mine. She seems to find my presence reassuring. I only wish I could do more.
She shakes her head. “The only place he spends any time at other than here is school.”
“Do you think he’d go there?”
“I can’t see why.”
One of the cops has already gone, taking a slow drive toward the cove. Max being out on the road terrifies me, memories of the day I could have run him over still fresh in my mind.
“We’ll find him,” I say, slipping one arm around her shoulders. She leans her head against me, and I rest mine on hers.
“I’m going to check the creek,” Eric says softly. He’s stood near the doorway, watching us this whole time.
Lily pulls away. “You don’t think?” She stiffens as her eyes fill with fear.
“Just in case. I know Max can swim, but we need to eliminate that.”
Now’s not the time to get irrational and jealous that he knows this and I don’t. I’m the one who should have been here for them. I know that now more than ever.
He leans over and kisses the top of her head. “I’ll come back as soon as I’ve checked. I’ll take a look around the back paddocks too, just in case he’s gone to hang out with the sheep or something. The cops didn’t check very far.”
Lily nods, grabbing hold of his hand. “Thanks, Eric.”
At the door he pauses, looking back at her with an expression I know well. It’s the look of a man who’s loved and lost. It’s the same expression that’s looked back at me in the mirror all these years.
She leans against my chest, and I stroke her hair, kissing her forehead. “He’s an explorer, Lil. He needs to know everything,” I whisper.
“How could you possibly know that?”
“I was the same at his age. It wasn’t until I found you that my heart settled.”
Her chest rises and falls at the deep breaths she’s forcing herself to take. The effort is obvious. With her in my arms I feel whole again. Even if there’s still a wall between us, it’s a lot thinner than it was.
“Thing is that Max is even more so. He doesn’t always see the world like the rest of us, and I bet he’s not even thinking about how scared you are right now. There’s something out there he wants to see, and it’s important enough for him to sneak out.”
She nods and sniffs, raising her face to meet my gaze. “I’m glad you’re here, and I’m glad that you’re getting to know Max.”
I palm her cheek. “I’m glad you’re letting me in.”
“What are we doing?” Her voice is a whisper.
“What do you mean?”
“This. You’re back five minutes and I’m here, in your arms. You make me feel safe, the way you always did.” Tears roll down her face and over the back of my hand where it rests.
I raise my thumb, running it under her eye. “I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear that.”
“All I need now is to know Max is safe.”
“He will be. I just know it. We’ll find him, Lily.”
An hour later, the residents of the caravan park are out searching the cove. We’ve not heard from Eric, and Lily’s going out of her mind. She and I have sat on the couch, with her enveloped in my arms, just waiting. She’s frozen with fear. It’s radiating from her and it kills me I can’t make it stop.
“I’ve had enough of sitting here. I’m going for a drive toward town,” I say.
“There are already people out looking. I don’t want to be alone,” she whispers.
“You won’t be.” A voice comes from the door, and we look up to see Eric. Hope fills Lily’s face. “There’s no sign of him at the creek, or with the sheep. I’ll sit with you if Adam wants to go for a drive.”
He flops in a chair beside the couch. Hi
s jeans are covered in dried mud, and from his tired expression, it’s clear how hard on him looking has been. Dad told me it’s rained a lot these past few weeks, and the ground must be soft.
“I might go for a drive toward the school, go past the bakery.”
Eric nods, handing me a torch. “Good idea. Take this.”
“Thanks.”
Lily grips my hand. “Please find him.” Her eyes plead with me, and I’d do anything to reassure her.
“I’ll do my best. I swear.”
She nods.
“I’ll be back soon.” I bend and kiss her cheek. Her grip tightens, and I squeeze back before pulling my hand from hers.
I get to the door before turning. Eric looks up. “I’ll make a coffee. Want one, Lily?” He gives me a look that tells me she’s in good hands. It sucks to leave her, but I can’t sit still. It’s one of those moments where I miss my army mates, the ones I’ve spent countless hours with, the ones who would be out combing this place for Max if I asked. But I’m a long way from the military and my other family. Max needs me.
The time in the car alone brings me the ability to think. It’s been difficult to concentrate with Lily so strung out. I’m as worried about her as I am about him.
When I hit the main street, I slow, cruising past the shops and heading toward the school. He has to be out here somewhere. Where would I go if I was Max?
As I pass the shops and with not much farther to go to the school, my eyes pick up Lily’s old house. Shit. What if he’s gone there? It was a few days ago I mentioned it, but what if his curiosity got the better of him? It can’t hurt to check.
There’s no traffic as I do a U-turn and pull up outside the place. I grab the torch and exit the car. The only lighting around here is the dim glow of the streetlights. Not enough to guide my way.
The old metal gate creaks as I open it. The garden has taken over the path to the front door, and I push my way through it toward the house.
“Max,” I cry. Please let me find him. “Max.”
Growing closer, I reach the front of the garden. Lily said no one has lived here in eleven years, but it’s clear no one’s even visited for that long. Maybe now she’s accepted my help and seems to want to lean on me for support, she’ll open up and tell me everything about the past twelve years.
“Max.” I shine the torch on the front door. It’s slightly ajar, and I push it open farther.
There’s a musty smell inside, the scent of a house that’s been shut up for a very long time. This place has been long since abandoned. What the hell happened here?
“Max,” I call again, shining the light around and surveying the inside.
It’s obvious there’s been someone here at some point after all, maybe squatters. Graffiti covers the walls, and there’s old bedding lying around. Even in a small town like this there are people down on their luck and delinquents out of control.
A small face peeks around the corner, and I let out a relieved breath at the sight of Max. Tears stream down his cheeks as he runs toward me and I catch him, holding him tight and trying not to cry myself. I’ve never felt such a sense of relief in my entire life.
“Adam,” he sobs, and I just hold on, closing my eyes as I hug him.
“What are you doing here?”
Between breaths, he spits out the words, “I just wanted to see it. Mum wouldn’t let me so I did what you did.”
I used to sneak out of my house and ride my bike over here. That’s what I told him. Shit.
“You should have told her where you were going. She’s been worried sick about you.”
“I was going back. But my torch went flat, and it was dark. I couldn’t see the way out.”
I sigh and stroke his hair. “Let’s get you home to Mum. Don’t you ever do this to her again.”
He pulls away. “I won’t.”
We make our way back through the garden, and just before we get to the gate, he pauses. “My bike’s here somewhere.”
I shine the torch and see it lying in a bush to the right of the path. I’d walked right past it and missed it.
Shaking my head, I hand the torch to him and pick up the bike, carrying it the short distance out to the car. I open the boot and it almost fits. I’ll just have to leave it open.
“Get in the car.” He hops in the back obediently.
I pick up my mobile as I get into the car before realising I don’t have Lily’s number. “Hey, bud. Do you know what your home number is?”
“Mum tried to get me to remember it, but I can’t.” He’s in the back with his arms crossed.
“Okay. Let’s get you home. She’ll be so happy to see you.”
It’s a quiet ride back to Lily’s. Max isn’t stupid. He knows he’s in for a whole world of hurt once he’s home. Although, Lily will probably just be glad to see him safe.
“Mum’s gonna be pissed,” he says. I keep my eyes focused on the road, my head turned firmly away from Max so he can’t see me laughing to myself.
“She’s right to be. That wasn’t cool. She called the police she was so worried.”
This time I look in the rear-view mirror. Max’s face falls, and I can see he hasn’t thought that bit out.
“I didn’t mean to scare her.”
“Maybe not, but you did.” We reach the driveway and I slow. “She’s also going to be so pleased to see you. Better make the most of it, kiddo, and tell her how much you love her.”
Max’s head is down, and it’s clear the full impact of what he’s done has just hit him. I feel sorry for him, but at the same time it angers me that Lily’s been so upset. She turned to me when Eric was right next door, and the thought of that fills me with more hope than it should. The way she flew out of that house and into my arms sends me a message.
“Okay.” A little voice says from the back seat.
“Max, your mum loves you so much. That’s why she’s scared.”
I pull into the yard. One of the cops has returned, and Eric’s standing by the house, talking to him. Maybe Eric’s reporting what he didn’t find in the creek. Lily appears in the doorway.
When I come to a stop, Max is out of the car before me, running toward his mother and flinging himself into her arms. “I’m so sorry, Mum.”
“Where were you?” She wraps her arms around him tightly, planting her face in the top of his head.
“I wanted to look at the house.” His voice is muffled, she’s got hold of him so tight.
“What house? Oh …” She looks up at me and I nod.
“It’s my fault, Lily. If we hadn’t stopped …”
She shakes her head. “No. Max should know better than to do this kind of thing.”
A hand slaps me on the back, and I turn to see a man in a blue uniform smiling at me. “Glad you found him. Where was he?”
“Abandoned house on Main Street. The house Lily grew up in.”
His expression straightens, and he nods. “I know the one.”
“Thank you for all your help,” Lily says.
“You’re welcome. I’m just happy he’s home again. I’ll call it in, let everyone know he’s safe.”
Eric’s right behind him. “I’m glad Max is home okay, Lily.”
She nods. “Thanks, Eric.”
“Adam.” He nods and walks back to his car. I shift my focus to Lily and Max. She’s holding him tight, but he’s not complaining, and her eyes are closed.
“How about we get back inside and turn all these lights off? The power bill will be horrendous.” I try to lighten the mood, but Lily stays right where she is.
“Come on.” I wrap my arms around both of them, and she lets go enough for me to guide them inside. Closing the door behind us, I follow them into the living room. It’s much warmer in here, and Max sits on the couch while Lily places a blanket around his shoulders.
“What were you thinking?” she asks. There’s fear and hurt in her voice. The crisis is over, but she has every right to let him have it.
“I
just wanted to see.” He pouts, but I don’t think his mother is angry. She’s over that and into the upset. If she was angry, her tone would be way different to this.
“There’s nothing to see.”
“I know now.” He’s so sad, and the pain she has is shared by him. It’s clear watching the interaction between them.
Lily sits and wraps her arms around him. “I’m just happy you’re safe. If anything happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do.” She gives him a little smile. “How about I get you a hot chocolate and a cookie. When you’re warmed up, you can get changed and brush your teeth.”
“Okay, Mum.”
She looks up at me with a smile. “Does Adam want a hot chocolate and cookie too?”
I laugh. “I’d love that.”
“Done.” Lily stands, and as she walks past me she pats me on the chest. “Take a seat.”
Her touch sets off emotions I can’t get a handle on. I walk to the couch and sit next to Max. “You okay, bud?”
He nods.
“Tired?”
Max yawns and lies down, his head on my lap. My heart’s warmed to see him so comfortable with me, and I place my hand on his head. If things hadn’t gone the way they had, maybe he would have been my boy—maybe he’d have siblings. We’d be living happily-ever-after with our children.
Lost in thought, I don’t hear Lily come back into the room until a tray with three mugs and a plate with cookies is placed on the table.
“You still awake?” she asks Max, ruffling his hair.
“I am now.” He pushes himself back up into a seated position. For a moment, Lily studies the two of us with this wistful look on her face. Could she be thinking what I just did?
“Drink up and have your cookie. Then it’s time to brush your teeth and go to bed.” She bends and kisses him on the head.
Max nods, and Lily lets out a tired breath, picking up a mug and settling into a chair to my left.
“Are you okay?” I ask her as I reach for my drink.
“Relieved. I’m glad you worked out where he was.”
“To be honest, I was heading toward the school.” I shake my head. “That place is such a mess.”
“I can imagine. It’s been abandoned for a long time.”