Silent Run

I’m behind you -- one hundred percent."
    â€œThanks. The truth is, I don’t know what to do. Sarah lied to me so many times, I don’t know if I can forgive her. I don’t know if I can trust her. But I also don’t know if I can stay away from her,” he confessed. “She’s got her hooks in me. I’m not even sure I want her to let go. And then there’s Caitlyn -- how can I deprive her of her mother? When Mom left it almost killed us. How can I do that to my own child?"
    Dylan stared back at him. “I think there’s another story as to why Mom left -- why she stayed away and never once tried to see us. I’ve thought so for a long time.” He gazed down at the ground for a moment, then back up at Jake. “Catherine told me that I investigate other people’s lives so I don’t have to look too closely at my own past. That might be more perceptive than psychic, but it’s still right on the money. I’m thinking about tracking down Mom. I’ve been thinking about it for a while."
    â€œReally?” Jake asked, not too happy about the thought. “I don’t think that’s a good idea."
    â€œWhy not? I’m getting good at finding people."
    â€œYou might not want to find her. She left a long time ago, twenty-three years. She could have returned at any moment. She didn’t. Aside from a few Christmas cards and random birthday presents, she didn’t want us in her life. How could finding her now possibly make things better for any of us?"
    Dylan shrugged. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I’ll think about it later. Tomorrow I need to get home and go back to work before I lose my job.” He stretched his arms over his head and let out a yawn. “Anything else I can do for you tonight?"
    â€œNo, you’ve done more than enough,” Jake said. “The rest I have to do on my own."
    * * *
    Sarah peeked into the master bedroom on the second floor just before ten o’clock Saturday night. She couldn’t believe the police had finally let her go. She’d been afraid they would keep her overnight, and that by the time they released her Jake and Caitlyn would be gone. But here they were -- the two people she loved more than life. She blew out a breath of relief.
    Jake was stretched out on the bed on his side. Caitlyn was cuddled up next to him in the middle of the bed, her thumb in her mouth, her blanket in her hand. She was fast asleep. Jake stroked her forehead and whispered to her as he watched her breathe in and out.
    The tender sight broke what was left of Sarah’s heart. Jake had his daughter back, and he would never let her go. He was a good man. He was a great father. And he deserved to be with his child. Where did that leave her?
    Jake saw her standing in the doorway. He waved to her to come in. She moved across the room, stopping by the side of the bed across from him.
    â€œShe called me Da-da,” Jake said, a smile on his lips. “She remembered me."
    Sarah smiled back at him, her eyes blurring with tears. She wouldn’t tell him that Caitlyn called every man she saw Da-da. She wouldn’t take this moment away from him.
    â€œOf course she remembered you,” Sarah said instead. “How could she forget her father?” She had spent the last few hours worrying about whether Caitlyn was at home screaming for her, but it was clear Caitlyn was happy with her dad.
    â€œShe’s grown up so much,” Jake said. “She’s like a little person now."
    Sarah sat down on the corner of the bed and gazed at her daughter’s face. In sleep Caitlyn truly looked like an angel sent from heaven. Or maybe she’d been sent to save Sarah from herself. “Giving birth to Caitlyn is the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life. She’s the best part of me."
    â€œAnd me,” Jake murmured.
    â€œI never believed I’d have a family after what happened with Victor. Once I was on the run, living my life in disguise, I thought it would be impossible to have anything close to a normal life again. I didn’t think I could trust another man, or that I could risk bringing a baby into my life. But you changed all that. The two years I spent with you were wonderful. You brought me back to life. You made me feel hope again."
    Caitlyn squirmed a little in her sleep. Sarah crawled onto the bed, stretching out on the other side of her daughter. She put her hand on