THE THERAPY SESSION had left me drained. Instead of feeling better, it felt like the floodgates guarding my sanity had burst open.

That night, back at my condo in Boca, I was hanging up my uniforms that I’d picked up from the dry cleaner when my eyes landed on white fur at the back corner of my closet. It was exactly where I’d tossed it away months ago.

I’d bought a teddy bear in Venezuela and planned to give it to Kendall if she’d taken me up on my offer. I took the bear and stared at it as I sat on the edge of my bed.

“I should have tossed you in the trash. Then, I wouldn’t have to look at you right now.”

Great. Now, I was talking to inanimate objects.

“What do you think? Should I go to Texas? Try to find her?”

You’re fucking nuts, Carter.

“What do I have to lose? I’ve lost everything, right?”

Bringing the bear closer to my face, I said, “I’m letting you make the decision. If you continue to remain silent, I’m going to assume that you don’t object.”

I placed it on top of my dresser and stood back, crossing my arms and still staring at it.

“Speak now or forever hold your peace,” I said before lying on my bed and opening my laptop.

With three days off before I was due to fly to Rio, I used my miles and booked a flight to DFW Airport.

Turning to the chest of drawers, I pointed to the stuffed animal. “If this blows up in my face, I’m blaming you.”

THE SPRAWLING RANCH was at least eight acres. There were a few horses grazing, but it seemed pretty desolate and unkempt given the size of the property.

The infamous Sparks Ranch.

I’d always wanted to see where Kendall grew up; I just didn’t expect to be visiting this place without her.

A blonde woman who looked like she might’ve been beautiful twenty years ago opened the door. She had a cigarette hanging from her mouth and smelled like booze. “Can I help you?”

“Do you live here?”

“Yes, this is my property.”

“Are you Annabelle?”

“Yes. Who are you?”

“I’m looking for your daughter, Kendall. My name is Carter Clynes. I used to know her.”

She took a long drag then blew the smoke out, pointing her finger at me. “Oh my God. It’s you. You’re the pilot.”

“Yes. She spoke of me?”

“She did.”

That pleased me.

“Is she here?”

“No. My daughter hasn’t been here in months.”

Filled with dread, I asked, “Where is she?”

“Beats the hell out of me. Kendall made it clear she did not want me to know her whereabouts.”

“When was the last time she was here?”

“She’d taken a trip to Germany. Wouldn’t tell me what happened there. Trip lasted about two weeks. I only found out she’d gone there from the ticket on her luggage, otherwise she wouldn’t have even given me that much.”

“How long was she here for after returning from Germany?”

“A couple of days. She said she was just grabbing her things and leaving again. She told me not to worry about her.”

“She didn’t say whether she was going through with the insemination?”

“No. My daughter much prefers to torture me, changed her phone number, making it impossible for me to find her. She would prefer to leave me here suffering, wondering if I’m gonna lose everything or not. We don’t have much time left. If she hasn’t given birth to a male baby, everything will be gone soon. It’ll be the end of my world as I know it.”

This woman was unbelievable. It took everything in me not to tell her to go fuck herself. But I needed her not to kick me out just yet. “I would say that’s being a little dramatic, Ma’am. You know, there is the option of downsizing and getting a job. It’s hardly the end of the world just because you can’t maintain this property or lifestyle. At this point, I think you should be more concerned about your daughter’s well-being.”

She chose to ignore my comments. “What is it you want?”

“I need to find her.”

Annabelle walked over to an ashtray and put the cigarette out. “I’m sorry. As I said, I can’t help you.”

Looking around the vast living space, I asked, “Does she have a bedroom here?”

“Yes.”

“Would it be okay if I took a peek inside to see if I can find any clues as to her whereabouts?” When she seemed to hesitate, I said, “It could benefit both of us if we can locate her.”

She lit another cigarette, took a long puff and shrugged. “Go on ahead. Second door on the left up the stairs.”

Nodding my head once, I said, “Thank you.”

The door creaked open as I entered Kendall’s room. The sun was pouring into the space, casting a shadow on her light yellow bedspread. Everything was so clean, delicate and feminine, just like her. My heart felt heavy as I traced my fingers along her personal items.

My hand stopped along a framed picture of Kendall with an older man that might have been her grandfather. It was a few years old. Seeing her beautiful smile again only made me more determined than ever to find her.

After scouring the room, nothing of informational value turned up. I felt defeated. Opening her half-empty closet, I lifted a few of the remaining dresses one by one, smelling each one, hoping for any recognition of her scent.

My hand landed on something unusual. I froze. Hanging in the leftmost corner of the closet was a tiny suit made for a baby boy. It was navy with piping down the sides and looked like a little pilot’s uniform. I looked at the tag. The name of the brand was Carter’s.

Holy shit.

I took it down from the rack, and that was when I saw it: a pair of pilot’s wings pinned to the front of the suit. Filled with painful longing, I closed my eyes and remembered her words from one of our last conversations before everything was destroyed.

“I bought something today that reminded me of you.”

This must have been what she was going to bring me. It was proof that she had been planning to take me up on the offer. She wanted the baby, too, just as much as I did. I clutched the suit to my chest.

She lied about having decided on Germany. But the truth of the matter was, she did end up going there. I needed to know what happened, where she was. I needed to tell her that I still love her and accept whatever decision she’d made.