He wondered when it all started. When he became part of their life by marrying their mother? Did she see him as someone trying to replace her father, Ethan? Or was it after she found out she was adopted, not related by blood to anyone she had called her family? She didn't start running away until she was fourteen or fifteen; he had forgotten many details in the process of aging. He had loved Cori and Gabe (probably more so than Ethan since he hadn't cared to call or visit in years) as if they were his own flesh and blood, but he felt more of a connection with Gabe. Perhaps it was because Gabe was only four when he married Maya and he was the only father he remembered. Cori was nine; she knew her father and it wasn't Allen. She had confirmed his insecurities through the years by disrespecting and disobeying him. He had tried to be nice and understanding during the firsts of their new family's relationships, but apparently it had not worked. He loved Maya and treated her and her children well. He had been a better father and husband than Ethan was or ever could have been. He and Maya rarely fought, he had never laid a hand on any of them.

All of these thoughts ran through his head as he rested next to Maya. He hadn't been able to sleep, but he didn't let Maya know. He knew she had trouble sleeping at night with all of her tossing and turning, having nightmares about the worst happening to her only daughter. And he knew he could not do anything about it, not until Cori was found alive. As long as she was alive, they could handle all of her damages. They had survived worse from her: her constant sneaking out to drink or do drugs or God knows what with her "friends" all throughout high school, her mood swings, dying her hair all the colors of the rainbow, getting a tattoo at age sixteen, the self-mutilation and suicide attempts since age fifteen, avoiding going to church with the rest of them, the list went on and on.

She was a bright kid, but she threw it all away because of her anger. She could have been at the top of her but she was unmotivated, something he never understood. Never in all of his years as an educator had he seen somebody so brilliant; he even considered her borderline genius. She even skipped the second grade and went right into third grade after her second year of formal schooling. She didn’t even try in middle or high school, but she still managed to keep a stable GPA. And he believed that the reason she didn’t get in trouble during school was so that she wouldn’t have to go to the principal’s office, which was his. She didn’t want to see him anymore than she had to.

Maya mumbled something incoherent in her sleep and her brow furrowed in frustration. Another nightmare. Outside their bedroom door, he heard Toby whine. He couldn't take it anymore. He wanted Cori to return home. So did Maya. And Gabe. Even her dog, the one she only knew for less than twenty-four hours, missed her.

Gabe. He had not come down for dinner that night. He wondered if he snuck out, a habit he might have picked up from Cori. He didn't check while Maya was awake; he didn't want to cause her any more pain.

Thinking about all of this caused him to pray. He had attended mass every Sunday since he could remember, but he never actually prayed. Sure, he had made small requests here and there, but never in his entire life had he prayed this hard, never had he wanted anything so much. He prayed that Cori would come back in one piece, that they would be able to fix her, that Gabe would come back before Maya realized he was gone, that their family could be healed, that they could someday forget this mess.

And it was if a weight had been lifted off of him. He felt relieved, better than he had felt since the day Maya told him that Cori didn't make it to her mother's house. He was able to close his heavy lids and clear his mind. "Thank you," he whispered into the dark as he fell into a dreamless sleep.

My heart was racing. My plan was already set in motion. I had called the number Sawyer gave me at the hospital and told him that I would definitely be at the carousel. His voice was sweet with excitement. It made all the doubt Linda gave me disappear. How could he want to harm me when he was genuinely looking forward to seeing me? In the past hour, I had inched my window up silently to a point where I could fit through. I didn't want to lift it up so suddenly that it would make a noise and cause a reason for Linda to come in.

I glanced at the digital clock by my bed: 7:16 p.m. Forty-four minutes left until Sawyer and his friends would be at the carousel. Should I leave now and get there early and risk Linda finding out that I am gone sooner? Or should I wait a few more minutes and get there later? I was too anxious, so I chose right then. I grabbed my brand new coat to protect myself from San Francisco's chilly winter night. I would be back soon, no reason to panic, I kept telling myself. At last minute, I remembered that I should take a cab, so I went to my stash of money hidden under my clock. I made sure that I would have enough left over after two rides. I didn't have a cell phone so, I dialed information and asked for a taxi service on the phone in my room. The phone rang briefly and then a man with a husky voice and thick accent I couldn't place answered, "Thank you for calling San Francisco Yellow Cab, the Bay Area's best and safest transportation. Where are you located?"

I gave him my address and he reassured me that a taxi would be there within the next five minutes. We exchanged farewells and hung up. I walked over to the open window and swung my legs out first. I extended my body and bent backwards until my feet reached the platform of the fire escape. I tucked my chin in so it touched my chest and spun my body so I could stand up. I stood and looked at the bright lights of the stores on the corners and the taillights of the cars passing by. A slight breeze caused my hair to dance around my face. The air smelled of moisture, a promise of rain. I was happy again. Rain brought change and it cleansed the earth. Tonight, it would cleanse me, too.

Despite the temperature, I decided to leave my window open just in case Linda didn't find out I was gone and I needed a secret way back in. I highly doubted that this would happen, but I was being optimistic tonight. Nothing bad was going to happen. I was going to have a good time with Sawyer and his friends; forget about my present situation: that I was being treated like a child and couldn't remember a thing. I climbed down the fire escape, the metal freezing my hands instantly. The wind died down once I reached street level. I kept my eyes peeled for the taxi I sent for.

A bright yellow car claiming to be a taxi by the words on the doors halted at the curbside where I stood. A man with a thick accent called across the passenger's seat, trying to be heard over the passing pedestrians and vehicles. "You called for taxi? Where you need to go?" Winter's early darkness caused difficulty for me to see my driver. I climbed into the back seat and buckled up. I was paranoid about buckling my seat belt every time I entered a box with wheels.

"Yes. I need to go to Pier 39." I didn't know if he understood me. In the light of the passing car's headlights, I saw his face and garb as he casually chatted and threw his head back every now and again. He was foreign, but I knew that from his accent. His large nose curved gracefully and suited his face, although it would have looked ghastly on anybody else. His dark, bushy eyebrows that almost touched balanced it. He had big, beautiful, brown eyes, the kind I had only seen on the TV shows Linda watched. His skin was tan, but naturally, unlike the fake tans of the girls flaunting their fake hair and fake bodies. He wore a cap on top of his head with his short, dark, curly hair spilling out and a light, loose-fitting shirt. He had a neatly trimmed, but long and curly beard. His taxi felt homey, more so than my own room. Everything about him was foreign to me, but I felt comfortable and safe.

"Hello, my friend. My name Gabir. Are you visiting or you live here all the time?"

"My name is Brooke. I live here with my dad." I smiled to be polite. He was letting me into his home. I knew he had a real home that was on solid ground, but he had customized every square inch of his taxi because he spent day after day in it, driving lost tourists and making locals happy with his blithe attitude towards life.

"Have you see tonight news? I watch during dinner at my friend's store. Poor missing girl. Your face has cuts. What happen, if I not being rude."

"I saw it briefly on the news. I can't say that I know her. I was in a car accident last month when I was driving back here."

"I sorry to hear. Taking taxi is better, safer. We almost to Fisherman's Wharf. I give you discount for surviving accident."

"Oh, you don't have to do that. I would be happy to pay full price." I glanced at the meter. In glowing red numbers, it read: $15.07

"No, no. I insist. You only pay eleven dollars." He smiled a genuine smile. He pulled over to a curb and waited for his money.

"How about I pay you eleven dollars for the ride and give you a tip of four dollars and seven cents."

"You very clever, Brooke. I take your deal. Any time you need ride, call and ask for me, Gabir. I will be happy to drive you any where, my friend." I paid him the amount on the meter and stepped out into the Pier's strong smelling docks. I turned around and thanked Gabir. He drove off in search of a new customer, a new friend to make and welcome into his home. In his home, I didn't realize that it had begun to sprinkle. I hurried in search for Sawyer or the carousel, making my way around the late-night city prowlers.

Somewhere in the distance I heard youthful music playing, not doubt that it was the carousel. I wandered toward the music when I heard my name being called somewhere in the crowd. "Brooke, Brooke! Over here!" I didn't recognize the voice and wondered in amazement at how someone could have spotted me among these tall strangers. Then again, it must have been my height that made me recognizable. I looked to my left and saw Sawyer waving and smiling in my direction.

He was wearing a dark blue sweater over the t-shirt I saw him wearing earlier. Next to him stood a guy and a girl with straight dark brown hair wearing almost all black clothing. A small smile painted bright red sat on her face. Her brown eyes were covered by dark red eye shadow, heavy eyeliner, and mascara. She was just a few inches taller than me. This must be his girlfriend, I thought to myself. My heart sank, but I knew it had no reason to. I came here in hopes of leading a normal life for a couple of hours. I ignored my heart and forced a smile, but it turned into a real one.

"You made it! I want you to meet my younger sister, Rebecca. She's studying to become a nurse at UCSF."

My heart skipped a beat. This beautiful stranger was not Sawyer's girlfriend, but his sister. I told my heart to calm down as I shook hands with Rebecca. "And do you go to UCSF as well?" I asked him. I wanted to know all that I possibly could about him so that maybe I could learn about myself.

"No, I'm studying architecture at Berkley. We share an apartment here in the city though. Oh, and this is my best friend, Sam. He's studying architecture at Berkley with me. And I see that Rebecca's boyfriend, Tyler, is joining us now. He's in the process of becoming a teacher. And it looks like he brought along his friend, Gabe. He's a junior in high school visiting for the week. Everyone, this is Brooke."

I shook hands with all of these strangers, trying to put the names with the faces. Sam wasn't as tall as Sawyer, but was leaner and had short blond hair and bluish-grey eyes, most likely a soccer player. I could tell from all of the soccer movies I watched with Linda my first few days at the apartment. Tyler was almost as tall as Sawyer, taller than Rebecca. He wrapped his arm lovingly around Rebecca's waist. She leaned in closer to him, comfortable standing in the cold, misting night. He had shaggy light brown hair and matching light brown eyes. Gabe was shorter than Sawyer and Sam, but taller than Rebecca. He had brown hair and hazel eyes. All, save myself, were un-phased by the clouds depositing water on our bodies.

"Gabe, where's Jordan?" Sawyer asked.

"He's back at the apartment. He's not feeling well, I think from the ride down here. Remind me to never go on a road trip with him again."

"Who's Jordan?" I asked.

"Our brother and Gabe's friend. They're looking at colleges in the Bay Area this week. Jordan gets carsick very easily, so I guess it makes sense that he's at the apartment now. What time did you guys get here?"

"Half hour, forty-five minutes ago. Are we going to grab some food? I'm starving."

"How about the new Thai-seafood place? I've been dying to go there." Rebecca had spoken for the first time. Her voice was as beautiful as she was, but it had a hint of melancholy. I suppose it was all apart of her façade of mourning: the black clothes, the lack of passion she had with Tyler, the choice of profession of nursing. She really did care about people, but she liked to pretend that she was sad for the world.

"Sounds great, Goth." Tyler kissed Rebecca on the forehead as her small smile grew the tiniest of a fraction. The rest of the group smiles at some inside joke that I missed. I smiled to fit in with them.

"Where is it, Goth? It better be somewhere close because if it's expensive, I don't want to waste money on a cab. And I don't want to walk far." Sam said, comfortable with complaining about Rebecca.

"What are you talking about, Sam? Don't you make more than all of us at that school you do part-time at? And don't you run miles and miles everyday at soccer practice?" Rebecca was just as comfortable chastising Sam.

"The rain is starting to pick up. And I didn't go to practice today and I'm probably not going to tomorrow. Sawyer and I have a huge project due at the end of the week. Besides, Goth, you know I'm the laziest person you know. You tell me every day."

"Whatever." Rebecca rolled her eyes and continued talking to the remainder of the group. "It's not far from here. I don't want to get too wet, either, so let's go." Rebecca started to lead Tyler by the hand and the rest of us decided to follow the lovers. I was behind Sam and Gabe. They were talking about schools and academics. Sawyer walked beside me and started to make small talk.