I called Tyler, but he didn’t answer.
My stomach tightened.
The cashier finally scanned my groceries.
For illustrative purposes only
I paid, shoved everything into bags, and rushed to the parking lot.
By the time I pulled into our driveway, 40 minutes had passed.
The front door was wide open.
For one second, I could not move.
Then I saw Emma’s stuffed bunny lying near the doorway.
I left the grocery bags on the porch and ran inside.
“Tyler?”
The television was playing cartoons.
The living room was empty.
“Noah? Emma?”
There was no answer.
I checked behind the couch, in the kitchen, and in the downstairs bathroom.
Then I ran upstairs, shouting their names.
Both bedrooms were empty.
I rushed back down and threw open the back door.
There was no one to be seen.
The yard was silent.
My mind filled with every terrible possibility at once.
Had the children wandered outside?
Had someone come into the house?
Had Tyler left them alone?
I grabbed my phone to call 911.
Before I could dial, an unknown local number appeared on the screen.
I answered so quickly that I nearly dropped the phone.
“Hello?”
“Is this Amanda?”
“Yes.”
“This is Hillcrest Emergency Clinic. We have your children here. You need to come immediately.”
