I watched her disappear into the night. That was when I noticed my little brother had been staring at her the whole time.
"Mom, Kate's been gone a really long time. What if she got lost?"
Mom blinked, caught off guard. Then her expression softened into something tender—but it wasn't for me.
"She's fine."
"Your sister's a big girl. How could she possibly get lost?"
"She's probably off somewhere throwing a tantrum."
Dad handed the toy in his hand to my brother.
"Your sister's too stubborn for her own good. Once she cools down, she'll come home."
They were completely certain I was just being difficult. Not that I was missing. Not that something had happened.
Just then, sirens wailed in the distance.
Word spread fast—the police had pulled the security footage and found that the frantic woman's daughter had been led away by an unfamiliar man.
Officers sealed off the area. Panic rippled through the crowd.
The show stopped. People began filing toward the exits.
The police started questioning everyone, one by one.
When Mom heard what had happened, she scooped up my brother and hurried toward the exit.
They barely made it to the gate before an officer stopped them.