"We have looked everywhere, but we can't find Carina. Has anyone seen her?" Arnold asked all those present.
Everyone looked around them, expecting to see Carina miraculously standing beside them.
"We have to get her," Arnold said. His voice was strained, and he was so worried, wondering where Carina was.
Everyone turned in different directions but stood rooted on their spots almost immediately.
Carina was walking towards them, disheveled and sweating. Mercy held her on one hand.
Arnold excused himself and rushed towards the two, got to Carina's level, and tightly hugged her.
"You scared the shit out of us. Where were you?" Arnold asked once he got up. His question was directed at Mercy, who was looking at all the children before them.
"I found her near the gate. I don't know where she was heading to," Mercy replied. She was once again holding Carina's hand and squeezing it tightly.
"Ok. You can all go back to playing," Arnold told the children.
He asked one of the nurses to look after Carina as he updated Mercy on the issue of therapists.
"We might lose that young girl. If we don't act fast and the authorities get wind of this matter, we risk being closed. I talked to two therapists whose charges are within our ranges. We can take Carina to one of them tomorrow," Arnold said.
"Yes, true. What time are we talking about?"
"Ten am."
~
Arnold got home to find Val already there. She was kind of in a jovial mood.
"I really can't wait for you to share that good news with me," Arnold said, hugging her.
"I'm just happy for us," Val answered.
"Yes. That reminds me, I wanted to tell you something," Arnold said in a serious tone, and for a moment, Val thought that he had found out what she had done.
"I'm listening," she said in a shaking voice.
"We're incomplete. What do you think about having an addition to our family?" Arnold asked, and Val felt her heart stop beating for a while.
"An addition! Are you bringing in someone to live with us?" she asked.
"No. Won't it be nice to have our own baby? Just imagine a piece of you and me running freely in this house. I really long for that," Arnold said, smiling dreamily, as though he could already see that young child running around the house.
"Mmmh..." Val responded.
"Please think about it. I'm just waiting for you. If you're ready, I am ready," Arnold said, hugging her.
She started crying and lied that she was just being emotional from seeing how happy he was about having a child with her.
But she was crying because Arnold had chosen to ask about them having a baby on the same day that she had terminated her pregnancy.
She was still crying when Karen called to ask her how she was.
"I'm fine. Very fine," Val said, wiping her tears
"You weren't at work today," Karen pressed on, and Val looked at Arnold to see whether he heard that.
"Yes, but I am very fine. How about you? Your voice sounds hoarse from crying," Val mentioned.
"I did cry a little," Karen said, laughing, but the laughter came out forced.
"Why is that?"
"Can I tell you about it tomorrow? We can meet with Angie as well and unburden ourselves," Karen suggested.
"That's a good idea, but I am very curious. Brief me, please," Val pressed on, and Karen opened up on how Carey had called in officers on her and how Sam had decided to break things off with her.
"Maybe Sam leaving is for the better. As for Carey, let's wait and see what becomes of him," Val said, and Karen nodded as though Val could see her.
~
Carey was still at the station. He had refused to say who gave him such information concerning Karen since Angie had specifically warned him not to mention her name.
"Is it because of your differences that you want her to be arrested?" Diadry asked.
"She won't let me see him. I admit I used the wrong method. I thought that if I did that, she would be so shaken and afraid and allow me to see him," Carey answered.
"Do you realize that it's a crime to use the police department for selfish desires?" Clinton asked, and Carey looked down in shame.
The longer he sat there being questioned, the bigger his hatred for Karen grew.
"Yes, I am very sorry for that. I will never do it, ever," he answered apologetically.
"We will charge you a fine for that. However, next time, there will be no leniency," Clinton said, and Carey breathed out a sigh of relief.
At least, he wasn't being put in custody. He could still fight for his child and Karen and make Sam pay for beating him up.