Chapter 53: I rubbed the back of my neck

"You mean Amelia hasn't been home in twelve hours? It‟s snowing out there!" I said angrily "I know that is why I am freaking out. Lord, I have called everyone I know. Her mom is going to be here soon, and I still haven‟t found her"

"Why is her mom coming?" "When I called her to ask if Amelia was there and then she said that she wasn't, she realized that something was wrong. So she said that she would be here as soon as she could." "Ok, look, I am going to come over, ok?"

"I don‟t know Amelia would not be happy" "Look, right now I just want to make sure that she is ok, alright?" "Yeah, ok. We live in the apartment building just across from the Ice Tea shop on campus. Room number 22B."

"Ok, I can be there in ten minutes" and with that, I hung up. The thought that Amelia is in trouble chilled me to my core. I just hope that nothing has gone wrong. I hope that she is ok. John‟s Point a view I arrived at Amelia‟s apartment at the same time as Helen did.

She saw me and froze. "John?" she asked curiously "Hey there Helen" She ran to me and enveloped me in a warm hug. She was more the mother than mine had ever been. "What in Lord‟s name are you doing here?"

she asked as we rode the elevator "I have, ah, bumped into Amelia a few times, her roommate called me, and I thought that I could help out" I said sheepishly "Am I guessing right that you don‟t want Amelia to know that you are here?" I rubbed the back of my neck, "She might kill me if she knew that I was even near her apartment."

Helen looked at me with a knowing expression. That‟s what I liked about Helen. She knew when I did not want to go into details. She already knew without asking what is wrong.

"Have you been here before?" I asked making small talk "Not as much as I would like," she said ruefully, "I helped them move in and I stayed for about a week.

That was the last time I saw them" "You know I didn't want to leave, right?" I asked quietly "Yes John. I know who much you love her and those kids. I just expected you to come home." The way she said it made me feel even shittier and ashamed.

"Well you are trying now," she said as an afterthought, "that is all that matters. You will always be family to me, no matter what you and Amelia are going through, or will go through in the future" I looked at her with fondness.

"Thanks, Helen"

"Okay, no more getting sentimental, let‟s go find my daughter and the love of your life."

she said as we stepped out of the elevator. I laughed as I followed her, she always made me laugh. I had missed that sense of family and belonging.

We walked into Amelia‟s apartment and saw that Sophia and Justin were already sitting at the table; the triplets were playing around on the floor. I felt a warm fuzzy feeling in my chest and stomach as I watched them. Hell, I had missed them as well.

** ***

John‟s Point a view

We had been looking for Amelia for the last five hours. I could tell that everyone, including me, was getting very worried. Amelia would not just up and leave. "I think it is time that we called the police," I said quietly after we had all met back at the apartment.

We were all sitting at the dining room table, looking defeated. We were, we had looked and looked but she was nowhere! "I agree" commented a tearful Helen. I looked over at Sophia and Justin and they both nodded. I pulled out my mobile and dialed the police. It was time to find her.