“Does anyone have any idea where they’ve gone?”
“No. Last night, Simon called the centre they were staying at to let her know I was in the hospital. When they went to check on them this morning, they had vanished.” The tears swept down her face. “What am I going to do, Cassie? I can’t lose her all over again. My only daughter.” She closed her eyes as the sobs increased.
All I could do was hold her hand and comfort her. She was like the anchor to the family. I knew she felt the need to stay strong, so I wanted her to know she wasn’t alone in this.
After a few quiet moments, Simon barged through the door, anger and panic all over his face. “Cassie, I’ve been trying to call you. Sorry I didn’t manage to speak to you earlier.”
“It’s fine, Simon. Really. You’ve had enough on your plate this morning as it is.”
As he shuffled his feet, I could tell he was extremely torn. He wanted to find his sister, but he wanted to stay with his mother, too.
Feeling Mama Caroline’s hand on my face, I turned to see her pleading eyes. “I don’t think I can go through this all over again. It was hard losing her once, but I don’t…I don’t…” She stopped, putting her hand over her mouth.
Feeling the unbearable pain from both of them, I did what I had to do. Releasing my grip from Mama Caroline, I strolled over to Simon. Taking my glove off, I reached out to grab his hand. He reared back, obviously wondering what I was doing.
“Wherever your twin is, you will be, Simon. You and I both know this. Let me help you find her. We did it before, and we can do it again. Just close your eyes and think of them, Simon. Think of your sister and your niece.”
Shaking his head slightly, I saw the hope in his eyes. Hope I wanted them to cling onto right now. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Looking over towards Mama Caroline, I saw the look I wanted to see. Turning back, I nodded. “I’ve never been more sure about anything, Simon. I can do this, so use me. I’m sure we can find her again.”
With a look of acceptance, Simon reached out his hand and closed his eyes. “Now, remember, just picture them for me. I will also think of them so, hopefully, it will be the first thing that comes to me.”
Channeling all my energies, I grabbed Simon’s hand. The minute I did, I was brought to a lake. The sky was grey, but I could see a hint of the sun trying to peek through the clouds. Birds were flying, and people were out enjoying the day as best they could. “I can see a lake in a park.”
“Where?” Simon urged.
The vision clouded a little so I inhaled and gripped my eyes shut. I had to think of Molly and Caroline now. I had to think only of them.
As if my prayers were answered, I spotted them. Molly looked tired and extremely sad. Caroline was a little happier, but apprehensive. “I can see them. They’re feeding ducks at the lake.”
“What lake, Cassie?” I could hear the urgency in Simon’s voice. He wasn’t commanding me. It was more like he was gently probing me in the right direction.
As hard as I could, I looked around so I could try and spot something I would recognize. To my amazement, I could see the 7th July memorial, which marked the fateful day of the bombings in London.
Opening my eyes, I saw Simon’s anxiety. “Hyde Park. They’re in Hyde Park,” I smiled.
Simon smiled back and we both looked over at his mother, who was beaming. “I’ll be waiting on the news, Simon. You go fetch my baby girl.”
Simon nodded and turned back to me. “Come with me?”
“Of course.”
We wasted no time, shouting our goodbyes to Mama Caroline as we ran from the room.
“I have my car in the car park. We can get there in about twenty minutes, give or take,” Simon said, pushing the button for the lift.
Riding it down, I watched as Simon stood rigid. Placing my arm on his, he relaxed a little and looked over.
“Don’t panic, Simon. They’ll be there. They’re fine.”
Grabbing my arm, he squeezed it gently. “I really don’t know what I’d do without you.”
The lift doors opened and we bolted out, frantic to get to Simon’s car.
The traffic was bad, but with Simon’s driving, we were there in about twenty-five minutes. We shut the car doors and ran through the park to the lake. Within a couple of minutes, I spotted Molly sitting on a bench. She was watching Caroline feed the ducks.
“Over there,” I said, pointing.
I watched as Simon squinted in search of them. When he spotted them, his posture relaxed and he exhaled a big sigh.
Saying no more, we both walked towards the bench. Neither of us knew what to expect, so the anticipation was high.