Chapter 38: Lost

Chapter 38: Lost Jamal watched Abigail disappear into the crowd, a strange feeling settling in his chest. He didn’t even know if they’d meet again but he found himself hoping they would. "Why do you look sad? You haven’t forgotten that you’re in Westend to see your first love, right?" Stefan asked, startling Jamal who had completely forgotten about him and hadn’t realized he was behind him. "Let’s check into a hotel before we leave for her office," Jamal said, heading in the opposite direction. "I need to find the restroom first. Something I ate on the plane doesn’t sit well with my stomach," Stefan said, and Jamal nodded. "I’ll wait for you at the baggage claim," Jamal said, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to shake off the unease lingering in his chest. He turned and walked toward the main terminal, weaving through the crowd of travelers. His thoughts were still on Abigail when a small figure caught his attention. It was a little boy who couldn’t have been more than four years old. He had curly gold hair and round hazel eyes. He was standing alone near a row of empty chairs and looking around in distress. People passed by without noticing him, too preoccupied with their own travels. Jamal’s heart squeezed at the sight, and he stepped closer and crouched down so he wasn’t towering over him. "Hey there, buddy. Are you lost?" The little boy flinched slightly and looked up at Jamal with wide, uncertain eyes. He seemed unsure whether to trust him or not. Jamal softened his voice. "It’s okay. I want to help. Do you know where your parents are?" The boy hesitated, then shook his head. His little voice was barely above a whisper when he said, "I can’t find Daddy." Jamal’s heart clenched again. He looked around, hoping to spot a panicked adult searching for their child, but no one seemed to be looking. "What’s your name?" Jamal asked gently. "Josh." "Josh? That’s a cool name," Jamal said with a small smile. "My name is Jam. Do you remember where you last saw your Daddy?" Josh nodded his head. "He was talking on the phone here and I wanted to see that," he said, pointing at the luggage conveyor. "But he left." His voice wobbled, and tears filled his eyes. Jamal nodded, keeping his voice calm. "He is probably trying to find you. We will find him together. How about that?" Josh shook his head, "He will come back if I wait here. I’m not supposed to talk to strangers." Jamal nodded. "Yes, you shouldn’t. Will you wait here so that I can get the security to make an announcement?" Jamal offered, and Josh nodded. No sooner had Jamal walked off to find the nearest security post before Ryan found Josh. "There you are. Where did you go off to? You scared me," he said, relieved to see him, even though he wondered who the young man was that had just walked away. He had brought him to the airport so that they could surprise Abigail and welcome her back together. He had only turned his back on the kid for a moment to receive a phone call, and by the time he turned around, he didn’t find him anymore. He had gone off to search for him, not wanting to attract any attention to himself or the kid by having them make an announcement, since he knew how people could be the moment they found out who the missing kid was. Josh smiled happily and ran to embrace Ryan, equally relieved to see his father. "Were you scared?" Ryan asked, but Josh shook his head. "No. I knew you will come back," Josh said, and Ryan smiled, ruffling his hair. "That’s my smart boy," Ryan said as he took Josh’s hand and led him away. Josh turned back in the direction that Jamal had left in to see if he could catch a glimpse of Jamal again, but Jamal had disappeared. Away from there, Jamal hurried through the busy airport, searching for a security officer. He found one near the information desk— a tall man in a blue uniform. Jamal explained about Josh, the little boy who was lost. The security officer nodded and followed Jamal back to the spot where Josh had been waiting. But when they arrived, Josh was gone. Jamal’s heart raced. He looked around, hoping to see the curly-haired boy. "Maybe his father found him," the security officer said, trying to reassure Jamal. "Or perhaps he wandered off." Jamal frowned, worry etched on his face. He hoped Josh was safe with his dad. Just then, Stefan appeared, looking flustered. "Where did you go?" he asked Jamal. "I’ve been looking everywhere for you." The security officer looked at Stefan, and then at Jamal, the irony of the situation not lost on him. While someone was busy searching for Jamal, he was trying to help a kid search for his Dad. Jamal caught the amusement on the security officer’s face, and he chuckled, knowing what the man was thinking. "Why didn’t you call me?" Jamal asked Stefan. Stefan scowled. "I did," he said, his tone slightly annoyed. Jamal pulled out his phone and saw the missed calls. He sighed. "My bad. Sorry, my phone was on silent." Stefan glanced at the security officer, then back at Jamal. "Why are you with security? Did something happen?" He asked, wondering if perhaps Jamal was trying to find the mute girl from earlier. Jamal explained about finding Josh and trying to help him. Stefan looked around the bustling terminal. "He probably left with his father. If he refused to go with you and insisted on waiting for his father there, then I’m sure his father took him." "What if someone else did?" Jamal asked, and Stefan shook his head. "I doubt that. There are lots of eyes around here..." "All those eyes ignored him when he stood there before," Jamal pointed out. "Doesn’t mean they wouldn’t interfere if they thought the kid was in danger," the security officer said, and Stefan nodded in agreement. "Let’s leave this to the security officer," he suggested. "We should go." The security officer nodded. "I’ll keep an eye out for the boy," he assured Jamal. Reluctantly, Jamal agreed and followed Stefan toward the exit, casting one last glance over his shoulder, hoping Josh was safe.