slice of life - 3/18/09 (Wed.)

I kiss Shane on the forehead a rub his arm and back, unsure how best to wake him.

"Honey," I kiss him again. "Honey." I'm saying this softly, a gentle wake-up, which is going to be deceiving when I share with him the reason.

"What?"

"Laurie's not home. I'm not sure what you want me to do," I say.

"What time is it?"

"9:30" She is supposed to be home at 8 p.m. With Shane going to bed earlier than this, he is unsure some nights whether she is home or not.

"(Expletive). I'm so tired of this," he says. "Call her in."

"To the police?"

"Yes."

"As a runaway?"

"Yes."

I turn and walk down the hallway. I'm hesitant to do this. I want to go to bed and the first call to report a runaway child and set up a file on them means a police visit when they can fit you in next, which might be 20 minutes or 6 hours away. I consider that I wouldn't be able to tell them what she was wearing when she left.

"I'm going to go hunt her down at Justin's." I say and get my wallet and phone from my purse on the kitchen table. I know that he heard me but he remains silent as I walk out the door.

I drive the 1/4 mile or so to her friend's house. As I pull up to the curb I see motion just outside the door. When I get out and begin to approach, Justin is walking toward me with a cell phone in his hand, trying to call someone, though he has acknowledged me.

"Is Laurie here?"

"Um, I don't know." -- I can tell he's lying immediately.

"You don't know?"

"They left a half hour ago." They being Laurie and boyfriend Matt.

"Where were they going," I ask.

"Um, I don't know. I was just leaving to take her this shirt," he says. So, if he doesn't know where they went, how could he know where to take her shirt. It's some BS story.

"Well, she's not at our house," I say and turn and walk back to the car.

I make a U-turn in the street and head back to our house. I know she's at Justin's. It will be interesting, I think to myself, to see how long it takes her to get home. I bet it will be just about as long as it takes to walk this distance plus the 3 minutes it will take her to say good-bye.

As I pull into the driveway, I'm resenting having to wait up for her and change strategies.

Instead, I'm going to catch her in the act.

So I back out and head that direction, but on the street just south of his. I'm going to circle around so they don't see or hear the car coming. This street will allow me to get on the other side of Justin's house and pass by so I might come up behind Laurie and Matt walking toward our house.

Instead, as I round the corner, I see them walking towards me instead -- away from our house, which means she intended to stay out even later. Throw another log onto the fire.

I put the car in park, open the door and say firmly, "Laurie, get in the car."

I've caught them off guard. She doesn't put up much of a fuss as she says good bye to Matt and get's in the car. She almost seems desperate as she tries to confirm something with him, "Try noon tomorrow babe, okay? Noon."

The ride is silent.

As we approach the house, I say, "If the distractions keep you from following the rules, we'll eliminate the distractions and your friends and Matt won't be allowed to be near our house after 8." This threatens her activities for the last 2 weeks whereby Matt comes over by 8 with her and stays with her outside hanging out and talking until 10 or so.

She comes into the house and goes straight to her room. I hear her crying.