Central Park has its usual lively vibe. Myah loves this place. She says it reminds her of life, such a melancholy musing from a very young girl. When she returns to her father, I hope she gets a better chance a life because she does deserve more.
I stray off the usual tourist path and veer to a more secluded park area. I meant to bring Myah here, but we didn’t have much time with all my sneaking around with her father. Still, I talked to her a lot about this place because it feels so different from the rest of the park. It’s more peaceful — calmer — and it has this gorgeous waterfall.
The sun is dipping low, and I know I don’t have much time left. When it sets, I will have more trouble looking for her. I’m not a religious person because the only thing my father worships is money, but I pray to all the gods out there that I can find her here. “Please help me find her.”
Branches crunch under my boots as I follow the frozen waters leading to the Ravine. Sometimes tourists meander to this area, but rarely. After all, this is not something that the movies present when giving a bird’s eye view of the park. I love the sound of the waterfalls here, but this night, only deafening silence surrounds me. I don’t care that much because my thoughts are loud enough right now. If Myah isn’t here, I don’t know where to look next.
I finally reach the silent waterfall and find an empty bench. I take it and slump down. Some people are taking in the sight, but they’re so few that I can check them all out from where I’m sitting. And none of them is Myah. My heart starts to sink.
“No. No. No. I can’t lose her this way,” I whisper to the waters.
I’m not a courageous person, and I easily give up, but Myah is still missing. And I don’t know where else to look for strength to still search for her. Why did I have to give her back to her father in the first place? I shouldn’t have done that. I find another raging anger inside me, but this time at myself. Because I’m too weak to fight for Myah, and now I don’t know if I will ever see her again. I bury my face in my hands and try to stop myself from crying.
I hear someone plop down beside me, and I want to shout at the stranger. Don’t they notice that this seat is occupied?
“Why the long face? Ha ha.”
Tears spill down, and then laughter escapes my lips. I know that voice! I reach for her and envelop the twelve-year-old in a very tight hug. My guts were right, and they led me right to Myah.
“Your joke isn’t funny at all,” I say in between sobs. I breathe a sigh of relief that she is finally safe here with me.
Myah shrugs and gets out of my hug. “It’s a little bit funny. Admit it, Sloane.”
I grin at her and wipe my tears away. I know how Owen will react if he finds out that Myah is with me again and that I found her before he does. He will be livid. He will start accusing me of all these hurtful things, but I find myself feeling happy despite this knowledge. Of course, I will deal with him later when he picks up Myah. But for now, I have her for myself.
Myah looks healthy and well-fed. That’s a good sign. She shivers and pulls her coat tighter. I check her out and notice that she is wearing several layers of clothing and gloves. I take off my hat and offer it to her. She gladly accepts it and puts it on her head. Besides the shivering, she does look okay, and I feel elated that she is. It means that she has been safe these past few days, wherever she hid from her father.
“Enlighten me, wandering girl. Whatever has pushed you to escape from your father again?”
Myah sighs. Then she rubs her hands. I reach out to hold them in mine. I want her to feel safe with me again. Well, safe and warm, that is.
“Owen, I mean my father, said that I can never see you again,” Myah mutters, her head down. She doesn’t meet my eyes.
What the fuck, Owen? I think to myself. Will he really go to these lengths to involve Myah in his issues about me? I understand that he feels like I played with his feelings, but I have been clear since the beginning that I’m sincere about my care for his daughter. That is outside whatever we feel for each other.
Myah notices the silence and finally looks up at me. She isn’t crying, but her face looks so sad that I feel like whisking her away from her father. I shake the thought out of my head.