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The drive back to Seattle had been long and almost silent. No matter what Carmen said, she couldn’t get Faith to perk up. Understandably. She couldn’t imagine the weight of disappointment she must be feeling. But, true to her word, Carmen was determined to find Molly. Faith deserved that.

Once Enid bid them farewell and Mateo locked himself in the bathroom, for what would likely be a full body treatment, Carmen took Faith outside to talk.

“Listen, I know you feel down. I can’t imagine how frustrated you are, but please, Faith. Trust that I will get you to your aunt.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Carmen. Of course I do. It’s just with every day that goes by, I feel further away from her. Does that make sense?”

“I think so.”

“I spent so long building the moment up, where I would finally meet her. And it just hasn’t happened the way I thought. That makes me wonder if anything I imagined would happen is going to go the way I want.”

“You’re still thinking Molly won’t want you, right?” Watching Faith revert to the scared child she was when she first turned up in Seattle was difficult to stomach.

“I know there’s no reason to think that, but… Ugh, I just thought I would know by now.”

“I get it. Really, I do. You’ve had Molly in your head as your safe harbor. That’s what got you through the last few months. You can’t give up now. I know we will find her, even if it’s not in Phoenix.”

“Are you sure you want to keep helping? You have two businesses to run, and Mateo has the boutique.”

“Believe it or not, this last week, driving to and from Vermont has been exactly what I needed.”

“Really?”

Carmen took a second to organize her thoughts. “Mateo was right you know, about me staying in the house too much. I convinced myself it was just easier to work, less distraction, but that’s a stretch. I could literally work from anywhere. I could go to the park and enjoy the outdoors, or find a quiet coffee shop. But neither of those options felt like… well, options for me. I realized I’ve spent so long making sure Mateo was okay that I neglected myself a little.”

“And being stuck in a car for the better part of six days helped you look after yourself better?” Faith asked with raised eyebrows, making Carmen laugh.

“Actually, yes. Ever since you turned up on my porch, I’ve felt better. Faith, you are inspiring, you helped me see that hiding away isn’t the answer. I’m proud of you, and a little in awe if I’m honest.”

“Carmen,” Faith hiccupped.

“Ah shit, don’t cry. Mateo will bust a gut if he thinks I upset you again.” The levity in her voice helped quash the rising emotion in them both. “Come on, let’s go sort out our laundry and repack.”

“When do you think we should go to Phoenix?”

“ASAP. We can rest up tomorrow and then hit the road. I’ll check in with Mateo and Enid.”

“They don’t have to come, really, I don’t want to—”

“Hey, let them decide. Come on, let’s get to it.”

Taking some time to unpack, wash clothes and then repack was a godsend. The past few days had been intense. Carmen needed a few hours from Mateo, so she didn’t end up strangling his sassy ass. God, that man could be a diva.

When everything was done, Carmen lay on her bed staring at the ceiling, soft music playing from her JBL speaker. A calm settled over her. That was until the shrill sound of her phone interrupted her thoughts and music. Frowning, Carmen reached blindly for the offending item. Stabbing the answer button, she closed her eyes and spoke. “Hello?”

“Hey, Carm,” Rachel answered. The noise of keyboards clattering and phones ringing told Carmen the detective was at work.

“Hey, Rach, everything okay?”

“Yes, and no. We had a disturbance call to your address while you were out of town.”

Carmen bolted up. “A disturbance?”

“Yeah, one of your neighbors reported a man shouting and hammering on your door. A squad car was dispatched. I’d asked to be notified if your address came up.”

Carmen had the good sense to let Rachel know she was taking Faith to Vermont. They’d also spoken at length about Faith’s parents and the worry they would turn up uninvited. “What happened?”

“The guy screamed and shouted for a while. The officers called me.”