“I only have her, Charles.” Madison’s sobs broke apart in her living room.
Charles had just closed the door when the woman came running toward him. Her face was wet with tears, her long hair was disheveled, and both her hands were trembling like someone who had just lost her entire world.
“What happened?” Charles immediately set down his work bag.
“My cat is missing.”
Charles fell silent. “Which one?”
“Snowy.”
The name made Charles’s expression change. Snowy was the white cat he had given her back when they were still dating.
Madison had always loved Snowy dearly. She would take the cat to the vet, buy her special food, and had even spent a whole night at the clinic when Snowy was sick.
“Since when?”
“Since this afternoon.” Madison covered her face. “I’ve looked everywhere.”
Charles moved closer. “Calm down. We’ll find her.”
Madison lifted her face. “If something happened to her, I wouldn’t know what to do.”
Charles sighed. “Nothing’s going to happen.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because we’re going to find her.” Charles took a flashlight from the bag he had brought. “Where was the last place you saw her?”
“In the bedroom.”
“Were the door and windows closed?”
Madison nodded, and Charles headed for the bedroom with her following behind him. Charles didn’t notice that a few seconds after he turned away, the tears vanished from Madison’s face.
Then, for just a moment, a faint smile appeared before disappearing again when Charles looked back.
“She’s not here.”
Madison rubbed her eyes. “Please look under the bed, Charles.”
Charles knelt down, but there was nothing there. He then opened the closet, but Snowy wasn’t there either. Charles continued checking the bathroom, home office, and kitchen. But Snowy was nowhere to be found.
“Snowy!” Charles called.
Madison, standing in the middle of the room, called out too. “Snowy!”
But no sound came back. Charles’s gaze shifted to the balcony. “Madison, could she have gotten out?”
“Impossible.”
“Why?”
“I always lock the door.”
Charles looked at the balcony lock. Madison was right—the door was locked. Charles then checked the front door.
But its window was locked too.
“Let’s search downstairs.”
Madison nodded, and Charles opened the door. But before they could leave, Madison suddenly grabbed his arm.
“Charles.”
Charles turned around.
“I’m scared.” Madison looked at Charles with tearful eyes. “If I lose Snowy, I’ll truly be alone.”
Charles fell silent. Then he lifted a hand and patted Madison on the shoulder. “I’m here.”
Those simple words made Madison smile. “Thank you.”
Charles didn’t see that smile because he had already started walking toward the stairs.
In an apartment several miles away, Ella stood motionless with her phone still in her hand.
Her call with Charles had ended, and the screen had gone dark again. But one sentence from earlier kept circling in her head.
“Madison needs me.”
Leah took the glass from Ella’s hand. “Do you want something to drink?”
Ella shook her head. “No.”
“Something to eat?”
“No.”
“Are you angry?”
Ella gave a small smile. “What do you think?”
Leah sat beside her. “If you want to cry, then cry.”
Ella shook her head. “I don’t want to cry over someone who doesn’t even think today is important.”
Leah fell silent while Ella stared at the dining table. The steak she had made for Charles earlier was still untouched. Her husband’s favorite cream soup had gone cold, and the candle was almost burned out.
Ella stood up. “I’ll clear the table.”
Leah immediately rose. “Leave it.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t have to do anything tonight.”
Ella shook her head. “I need to.”
She picked up Charles’s plate, but her hand stopped when she noticed a fingerprint on the rim of the glass. She didn’t know why something so small made her chest tighten again.
“Leah.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think I’m asking for too much?”
Leah frowned. “Asking for what?”
“Time.”
Ella lowered her head. “Is asking my husband to come home on our wedding anniversary really too much?”
“No,” Leah answered quickly. “Of course not.”
Ella nodded. “Then why do I feel like I’m the one in the wrong?”
Leah didn’t answer right away. She took the plate from Ella’s hands. “Because you’ve been made to feel guilty about your own needs for far too long.”
Ella looked at her best friend. The words struck deeper than Leah realized.
9:03 p.m.
Charles was still searching for Snowy. He had gone all around the yard, checked the trash cans, asked the security guard, and even looked in the small garden behind the house. But the fluffy ball of fur was still nowhere in sight.