When we got into a cab outside the hospital, Mom was still holding onto my hand. When Dad told the driver where we were headed, Mom chimed in, "this is my son! He's alive! It's a miracle!"

The driver gave her a look like she was insane, then turned his head to the road and drove off.

"Honey, I'm sorry your sister couldn't come up here." Mom told me. "She really wanted to, but she's got college; she'll meet us at the airport, though."

"I have a sister." I said. I'd almost completely forgotten that. But I knew she was three years older than me, and we used to be super close. "What's her name again? I'm sorry; it's right there, but it's just not coming to me."

"Her name is Tabitha, but you used to call her Tabby." Mom's face suddenly went sad and she touched my cheek.

"Tabby." I repeated.

Mom opened her purse and brought out a photograph of a pre-teen girl with dark frizzy hair and a wide, toothy smile. "This was her before you were... Anything coming back to you now?"

"She looks kinda familiar..." I shook my head, trying to bring back any memory of her, but they were all buried deep in the back of my brain.

Mom sobbed and embraced me. "Oh baby." She choked. "I never should've left you alone in that damn pawn shop."

Dad put a hand on her shoulder. "Lizzie, you have to stop blaming yourself; what happened to Dallas was no one's fault but those sickos that took him."

"Mom it's okay. I'm okay. It's all over now." I reassured her, even though it really wasn't over; I felt it in my gut that my abduction would affect my life for years. I just wanted to make her stop crying.

When the cab stopped at the airport, Mom still wouldn't let go of my hand as the three of us rushed inside. As we went through security and all that, Mom kept telling everyone that I was her son and that I was alive.

When we boarded the plane, I sat in the window seat and Mom sat next to me, still holding onto my hand, and Dad slid into the aisle seat.

"Hey, you're cutting off circulation in my hand." I told Mom.

She loosened her grip but didn't let go. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just... I don't want to lose you again."

"Relax; you're not gonna lose me again." I slipped my hand out of hers.

She sat back and nodded. "Okay." She whispered. "Okay." She met my eyes, tears forming in hers once again. "Y'know, I barely survived that first year. I mean, I'm sure it was a million times worse for you. But I could barely get out of bed to do anything. I j-just... couldn't stop thinking that somewhere, someone was hurting you, a-and then the trail went cold, and the p-police thought you were dead. I think I did for a while, too, a-and your father thought so."

"Yeah, I did." Dad chimed in. "I didn't want to, but I understood that the odds of finding a kidnapped kid after 24 hours are pretty much slim to none." He smiled at me. "But when we got the call that they found you, well, that was the best day of my life."

"Best day of mine, too." I said, and Mom embraced me again.

She let go of me when the plane took off. It was a clear day. I watched out the window until I started feeling tired from my lack of sleep last night and fell asleep.

I never remembered any of my dreams, but I knew I had a nightmare while I was asleep. I woke up sweating, my heart racing, I flailed around, attempting to get out of the seatbelt. I had no idea where I was. Then I saw my Mom's concerned face and felt her cup my face in her hands, and everything came back; I was free now, my parents were taking me home.

"Don't worry, baby, it's okay!" Mom said in a soothing voice.

"Hey, kid, you okay?" The flight attendant asked from the aisle.

I breathed deeply and nodded.

"Good." She smiled walked away.

Dad checked his watch. "It's noon; here, eat some peanuts." He handed me a small package of peanuts.

"I-I'm not really hungry." I replied. "I ate breakfast at the hospital."

"Sweetie, the doctors said you need to eat; you were on the verge of starving to death." Mom smiled and placed a hand on my arm.

"Yeah; you gotta get back at least some of what you lost." Dad added.

"Okay." I sighed, opened the package, and poured a few into my hand and ate them. "Mm. That's good." I set the package on the tray table.

_________________________

Love ya!

CC