"No," I said quickly. "She's still adjusting."
I had different excuses.
She misses how things used to be.
She'll come around, eventually.
But the truth was, my daughter had never acted that distant with anyone before, not even Donald after the divorce.
I had different excuses.
***
A few nights later, after Ryan left, Ava stood quietly in my bedroom doorway, twisting the sleeve of her hoodie while I folded laundry. I immediately became uneasy.
"Mom," she said softly, "please don't let him move in."
I stopped folding towels and sighed.
"Ava, you barely know him."
"I know enough."
The way she said it made me wary.
"What does that mean?"
She looked down at the floor.
"Ava, you barely know him."
For a second, I thought my daughter was finally going to explain why she disliked him so much.
Instead, Ava shook her head and walked away before I could stop her.
I remember sitting there afterward, feeling irritated more than concerned.
I told myself she was jealous or missed the way things used to be.
I didn't realize she was already carrying around fears she didn't know how to explain.
A week later, Ava disappeared. She didn't come home from school.
She disliked him so much.
***
At first, I thought she was trying to upset me.
That she'd gone to a friend's house without warning me to punish me.
So when six o'clock came, and she still wasn't home, I tried not to panic.
But by eight, I'd called her several times, my calls going straight to voicemail, and I texted every parent in my contacts.
By 10, I was driving through town, checking places she usually frequented with friends.
Nobody had seen her.
***
The following morning, Ava's school counselor called, asking why she'd missed first period.
That was the moment fear finally settled into my chest.
I thought she was trying to upset me.
***
The next seven days felt unreal.
I barely slept or ate and focused on making calls. Every time my phone rang, my heart jumped so hard it hurt.
Flyers went up around town by the second day.
By the fourth day, I was frazzled because I spent most nights pacing instead of sleeping.
The police got involved, but they seemed to be dragging their feet, while Ryan stayed close throughout.
Part of me appreciated it. Another part kept wondering if trusting anyone again had been a mistake.
For seven days, my whole life became my daughter's empty bedroom.
I barely slept or ate.
***
Ava's bedroom felt unbearable.
Her hoodie still hung over the desk chair, and her math notebook sat open on the bed where she'd left it that morning before school.
I was sitting on her bed, contemplating what to do, when my phone rang.
"Mrs. Carter?"
It was Principal Matthews from my daughter's school.
"We found something in Ava's locker. It has your name on it."
I was in my car less than a minute later and arrived at her school in 12 minutes.
"It has your name on it."
***
Principal Matthews met me outside the front office, looking uncomfortable.
"One of the custodians found it hidden behind some textbooks," he explained while leading me down the hallway. "We thought you should see it immediately."
My chest was pounding so hard I could barely hear him.
When he opened Ava's locker, I immediately saw an old cell phone sitting beside a folded note.
I recognized the phone instantly.
