As the sedan pulled away, Dan fell over into Roberta’s lap. Confounded by a mix of emotions, Roberta looked down at Dan who now seemed peaceful, not the agitated man he had been just a little while before. She found herself stroking his hair, something she had only dreamed about. Of course, Roberta knew that this calm was false, or better put, drug induced, but she decided to enjoy it if only for the short time they would be together in the sedan. Roberta knew that they would soon be separated again – even if Todd didn’t.

Roberta glanced over at Todd who seemed not to even notice what was going on around him. Todd was looking out the window transfixed by the sights, the park they were passing and soon the open fields and grazing horses. Odd, she thought. Todd’s brother was passed out in her lap but Todd wouldn’t even look down. Forget about conversation. Todd, who had been full of stories and ideas on the way to pick Dan up, was now stone silent.

As Todd gazed out the window, his thoughts were drawn to Espi. Sure, he was worried about Dan but mostly about what Dan would think when he woke up and realized that Todd wasn’t lost at sea. Truth be told, Todd wasn’t in the mood to explain the past year. Espi had been so very sad, scared and unsure that last time they were together. Todd could still hear the controlled fear in her voice. They were in this same sedan and traveling on this same road. Todd took comfort then in the fact that Espi would soon be safe – that he would be able to hold her hand through the trauma and place her safely on the other side.

Now he took comfort in the fact that he would be able to do the same for his older brother. Dan had always been there for him when they were growing up. It hadn’t been easy. Their parents were always fighting, loud ugly fights, but Dan had played buffer so that Todd wouldn’t feel their anger.

Todd didn’t even realize that neither he nor Roberta had spoken a word since they had picked Dan up. That silence, however, was soon to be broken. The sedan came to a screeching halt and there was noise outside. Todd was confused, not knowing exactly where they were. Dan was still passed out in Roberta’s lap. She was strangely calm but Todd’s antennae were up. Something was terribly wrong.

Muffled male voices outside the car came closer. A loud pounding on the roof shook Todd in his seat. Todd looked frantically to Roberta. She leaned over and opened the car door. In the blink of an eye, Dan was gone. Whisked away from the calm of Roberta’s lap but nowhere that Todd could see.