‘I ran away a lot when I was your age.’ The clear voice of a woman broke the silence inside the car. A younger girl, about 14, sat beside her and listened.
‘Did you want to get away from your mom too?’ the girl asked curiously as she looked up to the wiser and older woman.
The woman laughed sadly. ‘You’re lucky you have a mom to run away from.’
The young girl rolled her eyes and stared out the window. The brunette looked at her. ‘You are really lucky, you know that right?’
The girl shrugged. ‘I guess so.’
‘What made you run away this time?’
She shrugged again, still staring out the window into the dark night. ‘She doesn’t pay attention to me. Running away makes her notice me.’ She paused before bringing her eyes back to the woman. ‘Please don’t lecture me. I’ll get enough of that when I get back home.’
The woman laughed again. ‘I won’t lecture you. I’m not your mother,’ the girl smiled ‘..luckily. I would be out of my mind with worry if I was her.’
The girl giggled. ‘But you ran away a lot. Didn’t you care then about people getting worried ‘bout you?’
Sara smiled sadly. ‘No-one ever worried ‘bout me. That’s why you’re lucky.’
Curiosity got the better of the girl, ‘Why didn’t anyone care?’
Sara looked into Lindsay’s eyes. ‘I went into foster care when I was about 12. It was a lot different to what it’s like now. Then, nobody really paid attention to you. No one noticed if I was there or not. It wasn’t a nice place to be. I kept running away to find something better. The cops kept bringing me back after getting caught shoplifting’ she gave another sad laugh. ‘I wasn’t too good at that.’
Lindsay laughed but then quickly became serious. ‘What about your family? Couldn’t they look after you anymore?’
‘My father was killed… and my mother was in jail for killing him. My brother, Bradley, went to stay with one of our aunts … no one wanted me. Bradley died shortly after. Drug overdose.’ Sara shook her head sadly, ‘Don’t ever get involved in drugs Lindsay. I’m sure your mother has told you that.’ Lindsay nodded.
‘Why did your mother kill your father?’
‘Drugs was the main cause of it all. Both were junkies, but my father got violent as the money ran out. They started stealing anything they could sell to get more. When that didn’t work… my father took all our saving and came here to Vegas to gamble and win more back.’ Sara took a deep breath, as if remembering it all vividly. ‘That didn’t work either. They borrowed money from relatives, never paying it back. We became the black sheep of the family and of the town. Everybody avoided us.’
Lindsay wiped stray tears from her eyes. ‘That’s so sad Sara!’
Sara nodded in reply. ‘That’s why your so lucky. You shouldn’t take your mother for granted anymore. Everything she does is for you Lindsay. She loves you so much.’ The girl nodded again. She looked down into her lap, now ashamed for everything she put her through.
‘I don’t think I can face her right now. Could I just stay here for a while?’ Lindsay pleaded.
‘Sure you can.’
The both looked forward at the entrance of the Crime Lab. Both were picturing Catherine inside sick with worry. Nick, Greg, Warrick and Sara had each gone out searching for the missing girl. Sara checked the cheap cafes just off the strip. As a child she went to cafes if she could afford to get a cup of tea. That’s where she found Lindsay, huddled in the corner of ‘The Teapot’ nursing a mug of coffee.
In the car they waited half an hour before going to face the music. The silence was more relaxing than awkward. After the half an hour Lindsay broke that silence with a simple sigh. And then ‘okay, I’m ready.’ Sara nodded and stepped outside the car followed shortly by Lindsay.
Before they stepped inside, Sara glanced towards Lindsay and noticed the look of terror on her face. Although the teenager was much too old for it, Sara held her hand and walked inside with her. Lindsay held Sara’s hand tight, not wanting to let go.
The both paused outside the breakroom where they could hear the sobs from Catherine and the unsuccessful attempts for Grissom trying to reassure her that Lindsay would be okay.
‘I just don’t know what to do anymore. She won’t listen to me. I’m a horrible mother!’ Catherine wailed.
Lindsay started crying from the doorway. Grissom and Catherine each looked up and smiles spread across each of their faces. Catherine jumped up to hug her. Sara let go of Lindsay’s hand. Grissom looked at Sara. Sara looked at Grissom. The two Willow’s women cried tears of happiness. Sara still stood in the hallway, unsure of what to do next. She turned around and walked back to the entrance, pulling out her cell phone on the way to call the guys and let them know Lindsay was found safe and sound.
Sara thought about how there is always a silver lining. Before she wouldn’t have thought that her past would have any good to it, but thinking now. She may have just helped a mother and daughter become a family again.
Please let me know what you think. xx
‘Did you want to get away from your mom too?’ the girl asked curiously as she looked up to the wiser and older woman.
The woman laughed sadly. ‘You’re lucky you have a mom to run away from.’
The young girl rolled her eyes and stared out the window. The brunette looked at her. ‘You are really lucky, you know that right?’
The girl shrugged. ‘I guess so.’
‘What made you run away this time?’
She shrugged again, still staring out the window into the dark night. ‘She doesn’t pay attention to me. Running away makes her notice me.’ She paused before bringing her eyes back to the woman. ‘Please don’t lecture me. I’ll get enough of that when I get back home.’
The woman laughed again. ‘I won’t lecture you. I’m not your mother,’ the girl smiled ‘..luckily. I would be out of my mind with worry if I was her.’
The girl giggled. ‘But you ran away a lot. Didn’t you care then about people getting worried ‘bout you?’
Sara smiled sadly. ‘No-one ever worried ‘bout me. That’s why you’re lucky.’
Curiosity got the better of the girl, ‘Why didn’t anyone care?’
Sara looked into Lindsay’s eyes. ‘I went into foster care when I was about 12. It was a lot different to what it’s like now. Then, nobody really paid attention to you. No one noticed if I was there or not. It wasn’t a nice place to be. I kept running away to find something better. The cops kept bringing me back after getting caught shoplifting’ she gave another sad laugh. ‘I wasn’t too good at that.’
Lindsay laughed but then quickly became serious. ‘What about your family? Couldn’t they look after you anymore?’
‘My father was killed… and my mother was in jail for killing him. My brother, Bradley, went to stay with one of our aunts … no one wanted me. Bradley died shortly after. Drug overdose.’ Sara shook her head sadly, ‘Don’t ever get involved in drugs Lindsay. I’m sure your mother has told you that.’ Lindsay nodded.
‘Why did your mother kill your father?’
‘Drugs was the main cause of it all. Both were junkies, but my father got violent as the money ran out. They started stealing anything they could sell to get more. When that didn’t work… my father took all our saving and came here to Vegas to gamble and win more back.’ Sara took a deep breath, as if remembering it all vividly. ‘That didn’t work either. They borrowed money from relatives, never paying it back. We became the black sheep of the family and of the town. Everybody avoided us.’
Lindsay wiped stray tears from her eyes. ‘That’s so sad Sara!’
Sara nodded in reply. ‘That’s why your so lucky. You shouldn’t take your mother for granted anymore. Everything she does is for you Lindsay. She loves you so much.’ The girl nodded again. She looked down into her lap, now ashamed for everything she put her through.
‘I don’t think I can face her right now. Could I just stay here for a while?’ Lindsay pleaded.
‘Sure you can.’
The both looked forward at the entrance of the Crime Lab. Both were picturing Catherine inside sick with worry. Nick, Greg, Warrick and Sara had each gone out searching for the missing girl. Sara checked the cheap cafes just off the strip. As a child she went to cafes if she could afford to get a cup of tea. That’s where she found Lindsay, huddled in the corner of ‘The Teapot’ nursing a mug of coffee.
In the car they waited half an hour before going to face the music. The silence was more relaxing than awkward. After the half an hour Lindsay broke that silence with a simple sigh. And then ‘okay, I’m ready.’ Sara nodded and stepped outside the car followed shortly by Lindsay.
Before they stepped inside, Sara glanced towards Lindsay and noticed the look of terror on her face. Although the teenager was much too old for it, Sara held her hand and walked inside with her. Lindsay held Sara’s hand tight, not wanting to let go.
The both paused outside the breakroom where they could hear the sobs from Catherine and the unsuccessful attempts for Grissom trying to reassure her that Lindsay would be okay.
‘I just don’t know what to do anymore. She won’t listen to me. I’m a horrible mother!’ Catherine wailed.
Lindsay started crying from the doorway. Grissom and Catherine each looked up and smiles spread across each of their faces. Catherine jumped up to hug her. Sara let go of Lindsay’s hand. Grissom looked at Sara. Sara looked at Grissom. The two Willow’s women cried tears of happiness. Sara still stood in the hallway, unsure of what to do next. She turned around and walked back to the entrance, pulling out her cell phone on the way to call the guys and let them know Lindsay was found safe and sound.
Sara thought about how there is always a silver lining. Before she wouldn’t have thought that her past would have any good to it, but thinking now. She may have just helped a mother and daughter become a family again.
Please let me know what you think. xx
i personally loved it, and i would love to see a friendship between Lindsay and Sara