Once inside the casino, Em begins winding her way through the machines and tables, her head swiveling as she looks for Daisy. Reaching the escalators to the second floor, she stops and again pulls out her cell phone. Seeing no texts or message from Daisy and knowing the chances of her answering if she calls are slim to none since you can’t hear the phone ring over the noise of the people along with the machines.
Deciding to head back to the room, she steps onto the escalator and rides to the top. Again, she’s looking for Daisy and her head is constantly moving. Stepping off on the second floor, she continues to the elevators that will take her to the room. The plan always is to meet back in the room.
She steps on an elevator with three other people and presses thirty-two. After two stops, she is the only one on the elevator, which isn’t saying much with only four people allowed to an elevator.
Walking down the hall towards their room, her cell phone vibrates, and she pulls it out of her small, crocodile embossed saddle bag by Brahmin.
Smiling she selects the answer, “Hanna, where’s your mommy?”
“Aunt Em when are you coming home? I miss you?”
“Not for a couple of days. Where is your mommy?”
“She’s in bed. Gabriel is crying.”
Em’s head pounds while she tries to keep her voice normal, “I’m going to call Pop and Nan. They’ll be their soon.”
“Bye.”
Em opens the hotel room with her key card and heads to the window where the cell reception is the best. She goes into her contact list and selects her dad’s number.
Pacing the length of the window in the room, she waits for her dad to pick up. “Dad, I am so glad you answered. You’ve got to get to Ruby’s house. Hanna just called me and said Ruby is in bed while Gabriel is crying.”
“Let me get your mother together and we will head over. Thank goodness today is one of her good days,” Adam Jewell says. “Don’t worry about us here. You relax and enjoy your time away.”
“I can come home Dad.”
“No, you need the break. We’ll be fine. Love you.”
Em stares at the phone, not believing her dad just disconnected and drops into the chair by the window. Her eyes move to the ocean watching the waves break on the sand along with how the sunlight makes the water sparkle, and immediately, she feels calm.