Emma's Secret: A Novel

drift her way, as if to ensure she was still there.
I’ll always be here, Emma. I’ll never leave you again.
    She reached inside a bag and brought out a book she’d wanted to read for a while. It was the story of two babies switched at birth. Peter had given her the book for her birthday, knowing it was by her favorite author, but this was the first chance she’d had to crack the book open. She had been tempted to bring her e-reader to the beach, but she loved the feel of a real book between her hands.
    The sounds of children’s laughter, seagulls squawking overhead, and the waves crashing against the shore blurred together. Every few minutes she’d raise her eyes and blink against the sun as her eyes refocused, wave at Emma and Hannah, and then search the water for Alex. Little by little, she allowed herself to relax. She remembered what it was like for her as a child at the beach. Carefree. Safe. She wanted her girls to feel the same way. If she hovered like she wanted to, they wouldn’t. And there was no reason to. She noticed a few officers on bikes patrolling the pathways and lifeguards sitting high on their platforms. Everything was going to be okay. Slowly, Megan let herself get lost within her story.
    So when she glanced up again from her book a while later and couldn’t find Hannah or Emma sitting in the spot where their sand castles had continued to grow, she didn’t immediately panic. She shielded her eyes and looked around the area where the girls had been, certain they were nearby. Except they weren’t. She searched for Alexis and found her with her friends, splashing water at one another without a care in the world. Megan got to her feet and turned, looking at the park behind her. Scores of young children crowded the park area, running up and down the jungle gym, swinging and playing on the teeter-totters. Too many kids for Megan to seeHannah or Emma. Besides, she would have known if they’d run past her in that direction. Hannah would have said something.
    “Emma.” Megan called out, circling her small area, hoping that her girls were close by and she just hadn’t spotted them. But she couldn’t see them anywhere. Their castle sat alone, the shovels resting on the sand as if waiting for the girls to come back.
    Megan grabbed her cell phone and rushed across the sand and stood by their castle. “Hannah!” Her throat tightened as she struggled to keep the panic that was overwhelming her from being noticeable. Her girls had to be here. They had to be. They wouldn’t have gone far. Her hands shook as she dialed Peter’s phone number. “Emma!” This time she raised her voice, not caring if she sounded like a hysterical mother. She was not going to lose her child again. She brought the phone up to her ear. “Pick up, Peter. Come on, pick up the damn phone.”
    Her entire body was on edge, and a heavy weight settled in her chest as she struggled to breathe. In. Out. In. Out. She continued to scan the area, searching for Emma’s cute pink bathing suit with a bow at the back and Hannah’s bright-orange one. Maybe they were by the water, filling their buckets with water. She looked but couldn’t see them. At all. They weren’t anywhere.
    “Emma!”
Megan screamed as loud as she could for her daughter, her throat raw.
    A hand landed on her back, and she dropped her phone before whirling around.
    “Megan, what’s wrong? Why are you screaming? Where are the girls?” Peter stood there, eyes wide as he waited for her to answer.
    She was so grateful she wasn’t alone this time, not like when Emma had wandered out the front door and out of their lives two years ago.
    “I can’t find Emma, Peter. I can’t find her. She’s gone.” Megan raised her hands to her mouth as reality crashed into her. “I lost her again.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
    M egan clutched at Peter’s arm. Hysteria welled up inside of her while Peter remained calm, solid as a rock.
    Part of her was waiting for him to blame her, for asking why she didn’t keep an eye on their daughter.
    “She was just there. I swear it. She was just there—”
    “Maybe they saw some friends and went to say hi?” Peter scanned the area while rubbing her arms with his thumbs. “It’s okay, Megan. We’ll find her.”
    “What friends? Emma doesn’t know anyone, and Hannah knows better than to just take off.” She searched for one of the patrol officers she’d seen earlier. “I can’t believe I lost her again. Oh my God, Peter,