Nina took one look at me and then brought her hands up to cover her face as she began to cry. I quickly grabbed her and pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her as I rocked her back and forth whispering, “Shhh, shhh, it’s okay. You’re all right now.”
I pulled Nina into the house and led her to the living room couch, where I sat holding her as she sobbed. Once the storm had subsided a bit, I handed her a box of tissues and went to make her a cup of tea. When I brought the steaming mug back to the living room, Nina was sitting cross-legged at the end of the couch, holding my fat ginger cat in her lap as she wiped her eyes.
“You want to tell me what happened?” I asked, as I handed her the mug.
“I got mad at Mom and Dad,” she said, as she stared down into her cup. “They are so angry with each other that they don’t even see me anymore.”
“But your dad said he was going to talk to your mom about the living arrangements when she got back,” I said, reminding her that I’d been there during the discussion, but trying not to sound accusatory.
“But he always says that, and then he never does,” she sighed. “Or Mom never listens.”
“So you decided to teach them a lesson?” I asked.
“I just want them to listen to me!” Nina cried. “They never listen! I thought if I wasn’t here, maybe they’d…”
“Realize that they weren’t listening to what you want?”
“Yeah,” she sniffed, as fresh tears began to flow. “I wanted them to miss me.”
“Oh, they did,” I said shaking my head. “They were worried sick about you.”
“Don’t lie to me,” Nina muttered. “My dad probably got really pissed, and my mom probably blamed him for everything.”
I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling her how right she was about at least half of the scenario. I didn’t want to tell her that her mother didn’t know she’d been missing.
“So, where were you?” I probed. I wanted to know where she’d been, but I knew if I pushed too hard, she’d retreat into silence.
“With friends,” she replied, without elaborating.
“You were safe?” I asked, remembering what the girls at school had said about Nina and a college boy.
“I was fine,” she said cutting off further questions with her terse reply.
“Are you hungry?” I asked, steering the conversation clear of anything having to do with her disappearance. “I made spaghetti for dinner, and there’s plenty of leftovers.”
“I’m starving,” she said quietly. I nodded and went to the kitchen to make her a plate. When I brought it back, she ate it so quickly I wondered if she’d eaten while she was missing. I brought her a second plate, and this time she ate a little slower.
“Nina, you know I need to call your dad and let him know you’re safe, don’t you?” I said gently.
“Do you have to?” she asked.
“Yeah, I really do,” I nodded.
“Couldn’t you wait a little longer?” she pleaded. I wavered as I thought about my struggles with my own parents and how I’d wished someone would have cut me a little slack when things had been rough. I wrestled with the fact that Blake was worried sick, but I also felt sympathy for Nina and her desire to have a few more hours of imagined freedom from her parents. In my heart, I knew I was wrong, but my anger at Remy’s veiled insults outweighed my rational thought.
“Fine, I’ll wait until morning, but you’ve got to spend the night here,” I said, as I took her plate to the kitchen and then went to set up the spare bedroom. I called from the other room, “But first thing in the morning you have got to call your dad and tell him that you’re safe.”
“I will, I promise,” Nina replied.
I got Nina settled in my bedroom and went to lock up the house for the night. Howard sat in the doorway of the kitchen staring up at me with wide eyes.
“What?” I said, as I flipped the switch and cut off the kitchen lights. “Don’t you dare judge me, Howard.”
He stared at me for a moment, then stood up and moved stealthily toward the room where Nina was bedded down, swishing his tail with every step. For a moment, I wondered if it was an ominous sign of things to come, but decided that it was simply my fickle cat’s way of comforting our guest.
I sighed as I turned off the living room lights and checked the front door before heading to KO’s room. In the morning, we’d call Blake and let him know Nina was home.
I crossed my fingers and hoped that he’d understand my decision.