"What?" Aaron asked

"he is missing they want Anna's permission to tell the police so the search can start " Alina explained she took her coat out of the hanger and grabbed her phone

"Where are you going?" Martha asked

"Looking for him" she said, Martha woke up a bit drowsy she looked at her husband and started to cry

"oh our boy Thomas" Martha cried "He was so happy, doing sports, he was so great"

"I know honey" Thomas comforted her kneeled on the floor next to the bed

"Please go sis" Tobias said pouting

"Bring my brother" Callie joined

"Hey don't cry Callie I'm sure he couldn't live without seeing you" Alina informed "Brother, your car"

"No you're not driving my car alone" Aaron said

"Then come with me" Alina said leaving the door

"Yeah I don't want you ruining my baby" he said leaving behind her, he handed her the key and she drove away.

She drove for a long time, Aaron was bored and almost sleeping. "Are you going to the end of the world?"

"Shut up I'm driving "Alina said

He smiled to himself "You're worried aren't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Please...it might have been weird for other people to see it but I know it"

"What are you talking about?"

"You and Colten"

"What?"

"You wanna try to deceive me?" He asked chuckling "I known you since you were born and occasionally I known him too since he was born if you know what I mean"

"What are you trying to say"

"Colten has been like a brother to me. I have told him stuff he told me stuff. I was there in a lot of his hangovers and before that too" Aaron explained "Do you think in all that time a small word didn't escape his lips?"

"What ?"

"He didn't need to tell me, it was way easy to see it... especially you sis, you're jealously is out of this world not to talk when you almost passed out after seeing perfect Emma-" he said but her angry face made him stop "What I mean is that... I know you had a thing for each other"

"How did you-?" she asked confused "-wait! You're a literally first grader when it comes to things like these how can you possibly -"

"You fought all the time, he hated Jake from his toes to his hair-"

"From his hair to his toes" she corrected

"Whatever, you hated Emma... you fought a lot... it's an easy pattern "

"Then why were you always questioning stuff? And that time with Lucas, when everyone thought he was my boyfriend"

"I wanted to see how far could you go. It was like you couldn't admit that you liked him to me and also to yourself... did you guys dated?"

"No"

"That's a weird No" he mentioned

"You're way more annoying now" she said parking the car and leaving, he scrolled down his window and called her

"Well it's really the end of the world" he commented " I'll wait here"

"Fine " she said

"If you don't take long" he said and she simply threw a thumbs up at him with her back turned at him, she walked through the grass and when she saw the sunflower she smiled, she ran till the door of the house and knocked rapidly... it's was dark, very dark indeed but she could see the lights of the house all turned on and that made her hopes high

"Oh look who she is" The old man opened the door "I bet 5 dollars on you"

She really didn't payed attention to his words she looked inside the house like she was looking for a treasure

"are you looking for something?" Harold questioned

"You know that I am" she answered back

"I see" the man moved to the kitchen who had already a sink and a balcony "look The balcony you said it looked good on here is already here" the man smiled she followed him to the kitchen and touched the balcony

"It does really look great on here"

"Of course it does, you chose it" Harold said filling a cup with water and handing it to her "drink. You seem like you just ran a marathon"

She thanked and drank a bit of water, she gave a deep breath and looked at the man's eyes "I just want to know if he's ok. They will make the police look for him, I don't know what he did, and why he's doing what he's doing but whatever it is I'm sure the police is not needed. Please put some sense into his mind "

The man looked at the floor thinking and then at her "He's fine if that's what you want to know. I don't need to put any sense into his mind for the first time he's acting for him, you don't need to worry about him sunflower." He smiled taking the cup and putting it on the sink

"Well, if you say so I guess it's fine. Should I tell everyone he's ok? Everyone's worried about him"

"Well tell them he's fine, he's taking a time off"

"His mother is worried sick for him and he his taking a time off" she muttered

"Maybe you need one too?"

"I'm fine it's just, I was worried. I- I'm sorry. He's ok right?"

"Yes he is. No need to worry"

"And you ?"

"I'm great, better than ever" she smiled at him "oh the tiles for the kitchen arrived to"

"That's great" Alina said standing up to analyse the tiles "the white ones didn't arrived yet"

"No not yet"

"Weird, they told me it would be here in two months"

"Oh don't worry about it, it will come when I forget about it" Harold laughed

"I hope so"

"It's late, do you want to stay? "

"No no thanks, my brother's waiting for me this...if he didn't left " she chuckled going to the door

"Well go on then" the man said walking her to the door

"Thanks for everything Harold" she said once in the doorway "If you need help with anything-"

"I know, I know you can always pass by" He smiled making her smile

"Yeah that"

"No worries, he'll come around." The man said, she tightly hugged him "ok ok you know how I feel about hugs"

"I know" she laughed "I will go now, thanks again" she walked away waving and watching the man wave back ,in the dark night thought the sunflowers she got to her brother who was already sleeping in the car

She tapped his window waking him up, he was a bit confused and frightened making Alina laugh, she walked to the other side and sat in the car "You found him?" Aaron questioned

"Something like that"

"But you saw him?"

"Well..."

"Do you at least know where he is?"

"He doesn't want people to know..." she answered

"Well then what will you say"

"That... I will say exactly what I said, he's fine, he's simply sorting some things out and he will tell everyone when he's ready" she said reminding herself all of the information Harold gave "There's no need for police, I will tell aunt that he's fine and he knows what he's doing"

"Do you believe that?" Aaron asked

she stopped for a moment "I do...I think maybe he's finally doing something he knows"

"How do you know all this though?"

"Did you went to a witch or what?"

"I went to a old man with a bad temper and a straw hat" she told him

"You're weird" he stated

"I'm telling you the truth" she laughed

"That's one of the reasons why I'm scared" Aaron fired back

Alina drove to their house in the middle of the night with few information but she was hoping she could work something out of it so they wouldn't need to take the case to the police. Firstly she believes a lot in Harold she as known him for 3 years now and he's nothing but a grumpy and lovable old man, he loves Colten so much that he would protect him till he dies and Alina was aware of it, Colten would also rely on him, the years might have passed but she knew Colten wouldn't simply forget about his so called grandfather. Alina trusted Harold and if he said Colten was fine then he was truly fine . Secondly she believe in him, although the last words she trade with him were about his lack of confidence in himself she never, for a moment doubt his capabilities, if he's doing whatever he's doing is for good reasons plus he wouldn't just leave his family for a trashy reason.

Gladly Alina's story was believable, Anna and Thomas were relying their trust in her, she was supposed to give them new now and then this is she could talk with Harold, she was happy tat she was able to give him some extra days off....if he is still missing after one week or two his parents might not hear Alina...but for now his liberty is in her hands.