The Madrona Heroes Register: Echoes of the Past

Chapter 12 - The Unexpected Reunion

The kids raced through the alley as fast as they could. The relatively short trip back to their house had never seemed so long. Trees, houses, and trash cans whipped by as their footsteps crunched the gravel underneath. 

Worry multiplied at a brisk pace in Zach’s head. What if Cassie was hurt? What if she was – killed? The two possible outcomes circled each other in Zach’s mind like two predators about to pounce. It didn’t matter which won the day. Either option was unthinkable.

When the kids rounded the corner up the hill, heaving, the car their parents had left in was now parked out front. Zach was glad they were home but also scared to death of what they would say to him. They had left him in charge. The magnitude of his bad judgment was just starting to sink in.

As the three children arrived on the front porch of the Jordan house, their desperation was quickly replaced with absolute bewilderment as they stood in the entry way and stared into the living room. 

Their parents and the man were in the living room, smiling and laughing, and acting like old friends. Standing between the adults was Cassie, periodically getting her mop of curls tousled and her shoulders squeezed. What exactly was going on?

§

 “Where have you guys been?” The jovial mood of the gathering changed once Julie noticed the three kids gawking from the front door.

Penny noticed the not-so-subtle change in tone, caught Binny’s eye, and decided it was a good time to make her exit. Binny mouthed see you later at her new friend.

“I thought we asked you to keep an eye on your sister? We were gone for barely more than an hour.” Jay demanded, his former worry quickly turning to anger.

“It was my fault,” Binny stepped forward past her brother’s surprised face. “I distracted Zach and we didn’t notice Cassie wandering off.”

“Both of you should know better.” Julie cut in.

Zach closed his eyes for a brief moment and then raised his head to accept what was coming, “No. Binny didn’t distract me. And we both didn’t need to know better, because I knew better. You asked me to watch her, and I screwed up. I’m sorry.”

Trying to relieve a little bit of the tension that hung thick between the family members, the man added with an all’s-well-that-ends-well tone, “Well, it was pretty lucky that it was me and Rembrandt she decided to visit.” Cassie smiled an “uh-huh” at the mention of the dog. 

“It’s a crazy coincidence is what it is. How long have we been neighbors and not even known it?” Jay remarked.

Binny was trying to process the incredible scene in front of her. Not only had the man not kidnapped Cassie, but he’d taken good care of her and returned her home safely. Furthermore, her father seemed to indicate that they somehow knew this stranger? “Do you…” Binny paused having a hard time getting the words out, “Do you know each other?” Binny’s question was almost a shout.

“Do we know each other?” The adults in the room looked at each other and started laughing. Binny and Zach were getting visibly stressed, still not understanding what was so funny. 

Julie saw her older children’s concern and came to the rescue. “Zach, Binny, this is Dr. Huitre – your obstetrician.” The way she pronounced his last name sounded like ‘wheat’ with a soft ‘ruh’ on the end. “He delivered all three of you. Just like he delivered your sister home today.” The adults all chuckled at Julie’s joke. “He’s responsible in large part for your very existence.” 

§

The ad-hoc ‘party’ sat down on the couch, with Julie bringing in some beverages for the adults. Cassie had tottered away, interested in some new shiny thing. Zach and Binny had slumped to the floor in the living room, exhaustion and relief washing over them. The adults reminisced.