Unwrapping Daddy: A Christmas Holiday Romance

by Lisa Lace

  “The clot is large and is blocking an important vessel. If it isn’t removed, it could be life-threatening. We've tried a range of anticoagulants to break down the clot, and nothing is working. She’s gone into shock, and if we don’t act now, the consequences could be fatal.”

  Megan pulls Jack toward her and begins to cry.

  “What are you going to do?” Tom asks, panic-stricken.

  “We’re taking her to surgery. We want to remove this clot as quickly as possible or else risk permanent damage. Our biggest concern is oxygen deprivation. If we don’t get that clot out of her immediately, the damage could be irreversible.”

  Tom nods gravely. “Do whatever you need to save her.”

  The doctor leaves, only pausing to lay his hand on Tom’s shoulder. Then the four of us are left alone.

  I look up to Tom helplessly. I’m lost. I don’t know what to do.

  He’s the one to make the call. He clears his throat. “I think we should wait for more news at home. Laura’s going to be in surgery for a while, and then she’ll need to rest.” He turns to me. “What do you think?”

  I nod. “I agree. Let’s wait for news at home.”

  Megan stamps her foot down, her eyes filling with angry tears. “No! I don’t want to leave her here alone.”

  I approach her and try to take her shoulders. “Sweetheart, there’s nothing we can do for her here.”

  She shrugs me off. “And what if she dies in surgery? We won’t be here!”

  “She’s not going to die, sweetheart.”

  “You don’t know that! Why do you keep acting like you know what’s going to happen? You don’t know.”

  I glance at Tom. He looks as torn as I do.

  I place my hand on Megan’s shoulder again. This time, she doesn’t shrug me off. I guide her out the room, Tom and Jack follow.

  I put my arm around her. “I know how hard this is and how much you want to be here for your mom. If you really want to stay, I’ll wait with you.”

  Megan shakes her head. Her voice is defeated. “No. Let’s go home. Neither of you want to be here.”

  My eyes fill with tears at her words. I know she’s lashing out because she’s afraid, but her words terrify me. What if Laura doesn’t make it?

  It’s ten p.m., and Megan hasn’t left her room since we got back from the hospital.

  Tom and I are sitting next to each other on the sofa. The TV is playing in the background, but neither of us is watching. We’re just trying to fill the silence while we wait.

  “We should check on Meg,” I say. “Maybe she’ll be ready to talk by now. I’ll go.”

  I rise from the sofa and head upstairs. I reach Megan’s door and knock softly. There’s no reply. I knock a little louder. “Megan?”

  I hesitate for a moment. I don’t want to wake her if she’s sleeping. My protective instincts win out, and I push the door inward a couple of inches, peering in. The lights are out. I strain my ears to listen for the sound of Megan sleeping. I can’t hear anything.

  I switch on the lights.

  Megan’s not there. Her bed covers are thrown back, her closet door open, clothes on the floor. I drop to the floor and look under the bed as if she’s hiding there. I check inside the closet.

  When I’m convinced she’s not in her room, I race to the bathroom. It’s unlocked and open with nobody inside.

  Next, I race to Jack’s room. He’s alone and sleeping soundly. I check Laura’s room. No sign of her.

  I dash back down the stairs, breathless by the time I reach the living room. Tom looks up, and his face grows concerned when he sees my expression.

  He sits up. “What’s wrong?”

  “Megan’s not here.”

  “What?”

  “She’s not in the house. I can’t find her.”

  Tom jumps to his feet and searches the house. We look everywhere. Her cell, purse, and favorite pair of ankle boots are missing.

  “I’ll call her.” He dials Megan’s cell. “Straight to voicemail.”

  “She’s turned off her cell.” My mind races with possibilities. I run my hands through my hair in a panic. “We should call Tess. She has to be with Justin.”

  Nodding, Tom picks up the house phone and dials Tess’s number from memory. He speaks to her for a while, then hangs up, his face somber.

  He shakes his head. “Tess says Justin is staying at his friend’s tonight. She hasn’t seen Megan.”

  “The hospital.”

  Tom looks up the number and dials again. I stand watching, my eyes wide, my hands clasped together under my chin. I close my eyes, praying that we’ll find her. She could be anywhere.

  Tom

  The hospital receptionist puts out a call but says nobody came forward.

  Zoe paces the living room, her face drawn with worry, her eyes becoming red as she holds back tears. Her voice is husky when she speaks. “She could still be there. You should go and check by Laura’s room. The parking lot. Anywhere. I’ll stay here with Jack and make more calls. Laura’s phonebook is in the drawer. I’ll call everyone I can think of.”

  I nod. “Good.”

  Zoe doesn’t look reassured. She’s bowing her head, chewing on her thumb. She blinks quickly against the rising tears, sniffling.

  I step forward and wrap her in my arms. She feels tense, like a ball of clenched muscles. “We’ll find her.”

  “She’s not with Justin or at the hospital. I don’t know where else she’d be.”

  “We’ll find her.”

  When I speak, I try to inject confidence into my voice, but I’m a nervous wreck myself. If Zoe has no idea where Megan could be, then I don’t stand a chance.

  I go to the car and drive to the hospital. As I draw near to its bright lights, I pray that I’ll turn into the parking lot and see Megan standing out front.

  She’s not there.

  I park and go inside. I stop at the receptionist’s desk to ask again if anybody has seen Megan. She doesn’t remember seeing anyone matching Meg’s description.

  I head to Laura’s room. Still empty. I scan the corridor. There’s no sign of Megan. Picking up the pace a little, I jog to the café. She’s not there.

  I search everywhere in the hospital I can think to look. In the end, I have to admit defeat. I go back to the car, sit in the driver’s seat, and call Zoe.

  “Any sign of her?”

  “No,” Zoe answers. “She’s not there?”

  “I can’t find her.”

  A pause. “Come home. We’ll call the police.”

  “The police?”

  “She’s a missing person.”

  “She’s fifteen, and it’s only been a couple of hours.”

  “Come home, and we’ll talk about it.”

  I drive back to Laura’s house, my stomach twisting in nervous knots. I have no idea where Megan could be, and the thought of getting the police involved makes the danger seem too real.

  She’s not in danger. She’s taken off somewhere because she’s scared.

  I pull up outside Laura’s house and let myself in. Zoe is still pacing in the living room where I left her. When I enter, she breathes a sigh of relief and rushes into my arms.

  “Still no sign of her?” I ask.

  Zoe shakes her head. “I’m getting worried, Tom. It’s nearly midnight.”

  “Have you tried Megan’s cell again?”

  “A hundred times. I don’t know if it’s turned off or out of power. I want to call the police.”

  “They won’t take it seriously, Zoe. Megan’s practically an adult.”

  “Practically an adult? Tom, she’s fifteen!”

  “And spending nearly every night at her boyfriend’s. She’s probably out with friends right now.”

  “If we call the police, they can keep looking for her.”

  “I don’t think we need to do that yet.”

  “She’s a young woman out alone at night in the dark in the dead of winter! She could be abducted, or worse. She co
uld get herself drunk, fall into a ditch and freeze to death. It’s our job to keep her safe!”

  My sister is fighting for her life. My niece is missing. The woman I love is tearing into me. I’ve missed my last four business meetings online. Everything is piling up. And it’s all on you, Tom.

  “It’s not my job!” I flare. “My job was to visit for Christmas: to show my face, do my time, and go back home.”

  Zoe’s eyes widen. Her lips part. She scowls. “Is that what this is about? That ‘family drama’ is getting too much for you?”

  “I didn’t sign up for a search and rescue, Zoe. She’s a fifteen-year-old girl who’s had another rough patch in life. She’s probably holed up with some girlfriends, talking about how evil we are for not staying at the hospital.”

  “Maybe she’s not wrong! You were eager to leave, Tom!”

  “I didn’t hear you complaining! Aren’t you the one who always says the kids are the priority? I thought they’d do better at home.”

  “I want to call the police.”

  “Fine.”

  We call the police. It takes them twenty minutes to arrive. In that time, Zoe and I sit on opposite sides of the sofa, not looking at each other, not talking. Every now and then, she glares daggers at me.

  Can you blame her, Tom?

  At last, two police officers arrive. It’s twelve-thirty by now, and as much as I’ve tried to convince Zoe that Megan’s out with friends, my own doubts are creeping in. It’s too late for a young woman to be out alone.

  My head’s about to split open from all the worry I’m carrying. In one part of this town, Laura is having a blood clot cut out of her chest. Somewhere else, Megan’s out there; alone and in a bad state.

  The officers take a seat in the living room. The older of the two takes out a notepad and begins to ask questions. “Can you describe the missing person?”

  Zoe’s quick to answer. “Her name’s Megan Demont. She’s fifteen, about this tall. She’s got long blonde hair.”

  “What was she last wearing?”

  “I didn’t see her leave. She’s taken her purse with her. It’s black, with a red tassel and a gold clasp. She’s also wearing her favorite boots. They’re brown with a small heel. She usually wears a chunky knitted gray scarf when the weather’s like this.”

  “Do you believe she left of her own accord?”

  I answer. “We were here the whole time. She must have snuck out.”

  The officer nods. “Is that usual behavior for her?”

  I look to Zoe. She knows better than me.

  “She’s been acting out recently. Her mom is seriously ill. She’s been spending more time at her boyfriend’s lately, staying out late.”

  “Have you contacted the boyfriend?”

  “I’ve called his mother,” I say. “She says he’s at a friend’s tonight.”

  The officers exchange glances. The one asking the questions looks back at me. “And have you confirmed his story with this friend?”

  I raise my eyebrows, looking across at Zoe hopefully. “You think he’s acting as an alibi?”

  “It’s not unusual for young couples to lie for each other in situations like these. You should find out which friend this boy is supposed to be with, and check his story. If he’s not there, it’s likely that they’re together.”

  Relief washes over me. Maybe she’s safe after all.

  The officer senses my relief and smiles. “I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about. We see this sort of thing all the time. To be safe, though, I’m going to log her in the system and send out a couple of our teams to have a look for her. She’s under twenty-one, so we’re not taking any chances, especially if she’s had a traumatic day.”

  “Thank you, Officer.”

  “No problem. If she turns up, please contact us so we can call off the search. If we find her, we’ll call you. If you haven’t heard from her within twenty-four hours, come by the station, and we’ll implement a more thorough search strategy.”

  The officers leave, and I feel some of the weight of that worry lifted from my shoulders. I turn to Zoe. “That’s good news, right?”

  “A stranger’s best guess? He doesn’t know Megan. She could still be anywhere.”

  “I’ll call Tess first thing in the morning.”

  “What about tonight?”

  “What do you want me to do? We’ve looked everywhere we can think to look. We’ve called the police. We need to wait here for her.”

  Zoe folds her arms over her chest. “Why aren’t you more worried about her?”

  “I am worried, but we’ve got no reason to lose our heads right now. While we’re out looking for Megan, we could find out that Laura’s flatlined. I’m trying to do the best for both of them.”

  “Don’t say that.” Zoe gasps. “That’s not going to happen.”

  “I know it’s not.”

  “Jesus, Tom, you can be so cold.”

  “Cold? I’m doing the best I can.”

  “It’s like this isn’t happening to you. You’re acting like you’re working your way through a business problem. Where’s the emotion?”

  I hold up my hands. “I don’t know what you want from me.”

  Zoe walks away, shaking her head. She doesn’t say anything else to me. She just disappears upstairs. I hear her on the phone again, calling Tess at one-thirty in the morning.

  I set up my bed on the sofa, but I can’t sleep. I keep thinking of Megan, out on the streets, or at some wild party. God knows what she’s up to right now, or who she’s with. My mind runs through every worst-case scenario. I feel sick to my stomach.

  Then my thoughts turn to Laura. I imagine surgeons tearing her rib cage apart to claw at her veins. Is that how this surgery works? Grisly operations dance in my head. I can’t stand the thought of Laura being ripped apart on a cold metal table.

  How can Zoe say I’m cold? I’d do anything for them.

  Zoe

  Megan doesn’t show up. I’m too sick with worry to eat, so I leave without staying for breakfast. I can feel Tom’s eyes boring into me as I walk away.

  I want to be searching for Megan, but I know that I’ll be no good on foot. I also want to be at my store in case she shows up there, but my mind is far from work. My cell is glued to my hand. Every little noise or rustle in the store has me staring at the screen, hoping for a message or a call. Dreading a message or a call.

  I start to look back through old messages between Tom and me while my cell is in my palm.

  I’ve waited forever to meet someone like you.

  You’re so funny. I can’t wait to see that smile.

  I like to imagine us somewhere away from the rest of the world, curled up in a bed somewhere, watching waves; maybe lying under the stars. We talk about our futures, and it’s not through messages. It’s real. We’re in each other’s arms.

  I think I’m falling for you.

  My heart breaks. I weep into my hands. Everything that’s happened has only served to come between us. Every time we get close, something rips us apart. Maybe it’s not meant to be.

  Don’t think about him. Megan’s still out there.

  I’m worried sick about Laura and Megan. Nobody has called me about either. I’m entirely in the dark. I’ve left Megan at least a dozen voicemails, begging her to come home or get in touch. Nothing.

  I consider dialing Tom’s number; my finger brushes over my cell’s screen and stops poised above his name. I press the home screen and place my phone down on the counter. I don’t want to talk to him right now.

  I’m furious with how he acted last night. His niece was in danger, and Tom was feeling sorry for himself.

  That’s the problem with Tom. He’s a flight risk. I guess I should have known. It’s not like Laura didn’t warn me. This is what Tom does; he gets so close, but one challenge too many, and he backs away.

  Can I ever be with a man who can’t step up when it matters most?

  Tom

  As soon a
s I’ve taken Jack to school, I start searching for Megan again. Tess gives me the name and number of the person Justin was supposed to be staying with the night before.

  When I call, it’s a teenage boy who answers. “Hello?”

  “Hi. My name’s Tom. I’m looking for Justin.”

  “He just left.”

  “He was there last night?”

  “Yup. Here all night.”

  “Do you know where he is now?”

  “No idea.”

  “Thanks.”

  I hang up, frustrated. My last shred of hope has been extinguished. At least if Megan had been with Justin, she wouldn’t have been alone.

  With no more leads to go on, the only thing I can do is drive around. I go from place to place, asking everyone if they’ve seen her. She’s not in any of the coffee shops or restaurants. I don’t find her at the park or gym. No luck at the cinema or mall.

  That worry inside me grows. My lungs constrict. If Megan is missing, Laura will never forgive me. I’ll never forgive myself. I should have watched her closer. I should have cared more.

  Zoe was right.

  When I’ve spent three hours driving around, I head to the police station. I go up to the desk and give the officer the case details. “She’s still not come home,” I tell her. “The boyfriend’s story checks out. She’s nowhere to be found.”

  “Sir, we’re following procedure,” the woman vows. “We’ve had officers looking for her.”

  “It’s not enough. We need to start investigating.”

  “If we have cause to believe any harm has or could come to her, that’s exactly what we’ll do. Right now, the most likely scenario is that she’s run away.”

  “She’s been away all night without telling us where she is. Isn’t that enough to consider that harm might come to her? It’s freezing outside. What if she’s been on the streets?”

  “If anybody was taken to the hospital with Megan’s description, we’d know about it. Sir, the best thing you can do is wait at home in case she comes back. Keep your cell fully charged. We will contact you if we find anything at all. If she’s not found by this evening, we’ll be more than willing to discuss this further.”