“Zoë, wait Hun.” My daughter let go of the door handle and turned her attention towards me. “I’ll be back at 3 to pick you up, all right?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“I want you to wait with a teacher outside at the flagpole until you see me. Then I’m going to come and get you so we can walk back to the car together.”
“OK, Daddy.”
“Love you sweetie,” I kissed her cheek. “Be a good girl!” I called out as she got out of my car. “Don’t leave with anyone that isn’t me!”
Zoë nodded as she slammed the door and made her way up the steps of the school building. I watched her go inside with the rest of the children who were all anxious for the first day of school to begin. I sat there for a few minutes just to make sure everything was OK and when I was certain it was I put the car into gear and drove out onto the street.
I don’t know what it was that made me turn onto the highway but whatever it was it made me skip my promise to my wife for the time being and follow the signs that indicated the way to Manhattan.
As I drove down the West Side Highway nothing was more important to me then clearing my head of all my negative thoughts. I tried to forget about the dreams I had been having about Zoë being kidnapped, those were the things keeping me awake all night. I had myself almost totally convinced that everything was going to be all right when my cell phone rang. My heart raced as I answered it and held it up to my ear.
“Hello?” I asked frantically.
“Taylor, it’s me... you know, the one that worries about where you are after an hour passes since you left home with no phone calls coming in.”
“Sorry, Clare,” I told my wife. “Listen, I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I should have called you and told you where I was.” I turned down West 79th Street as I spoke.
“Where are you?”
“Where am I...” I said softly as the street numbers passed by my car window. I was almost to my destination, Central Park West. “I’m... on my way to the doctors.”
“No you’re not,” she informed me. “Taylor, tell me the truth.”
“I’m in Manhattan, on my way to Central Park.”
“Why, Taylor?”
“To clear my head.”
“Honey...”
“What?” I asked a little annoyed with all the questions.
“You promised.”
“I’m under a lot of stress lately,” I told her gently, trying to apologize for my tone from before. “I just need to clear my head.” I came to my destination and turned into a parking space that I had spotted by luck right next to the park. I turned off the engine and pulled out my keys. “I think I’m going to sit on a bench for awhile and listen to the birds chirp.”
“Please come home soon, I love you.”
“I love you too, honey.”