Celeste looked at her email for the hundredth time, sighing in frustration. She closed her laptop and walked out to the sun-room. Maybe a little sun and a nice book would help. She knew it was another one of John’s moments. He had been having those more frequently. Still, it didn’t sting any less that he refused to let her in when he would have a breakdown. It was hard for Celeste’s father to accept him as a boyfriend. Her father, being the strict man that he was, had found it suspicious that no one called or messaged for John. He had found it equally bizarre Celeste had never even met his parents. Truth be told, she had wondered about it and anytime she had mentioned it, John would shut down.

Of course, the minute she would bring up these concerns to her dad, he would always have this ‘I-told-you-so’ tone. It drove her insane. To be fair, John hadn’t exactly helped with that image lately. She had flat-out lied to her father when he called earlier asking how they were doing, and if she needed anything sent over. She had managed to keep the tears back, and surprisingly held it together. Scott wasn’t the type to mess around, and she knew that if he found out about John’s little episode there was no way in hell he would allow her to marry him. The best case scenario here was to just keep it to herself and try and get John to go to a therapist. Maybe they could start going together since they both seemed to have─ issues. The only clue from his past that she had managed to drag out of him last year was where his family had come from, and various high school stories. So what if he was more reserved? Lots of people were that way. It wasn't like the two of them hadn't spent the last few years getting to know one another. The past was something that he more than likely wanted to leave behind. She knew that sentiment all too well─ people could be cruel. She frowned, thinking back to his meltdown earlier that day. For as long as she had known him, John had never behaved that way. It was really starting to worry her. She jumped, screaming as a loud chime rang throughout the house. A split second passed and Celeste sighed in relief, realizing that it had been the front doorbell.

Then it clicked, today was Saturday. Lain. Talk about bad timing, she thought. Racing down the stairs, she winced at each step that she took. It felt like someone was beating a hammer on the back of her skull. The adrenaline from the earlier encounter with John must have worn off. In all the excitement, Celeste had hit the wall when he had thrown her off of him. She reached the bottom floor and pulled open the door. Standing on the porch, was a very quiet little Lain. Her head was tilted down and she was dragging her shoe across the concrete.

Her heart ached the instant Celeste saw her. Lain’s face was swollen and puffy. It was obvious that she had been crying. Pushing her own troubles aside, she tried her best to smile in front of the young girl. Lain had more than enough trouble in her own life, she shouldn't have to worry about anyone else. What, like the fact that your ‘normal’ life is crazy and your boyfriend is going completely mental? She shook the thought from her mind. What mattered most was taking care of Lain right now.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Inoue,” Lain mumbled under her breath. Though the girl was obviously feeling distraught, she put respect first and foremost. It never ceased to amaze her how well Lain could pronounce her Japanese-native name. Most of her colleagues would simply call her Celeste, or the more formal ones, 'Ms. Ino'. If only they knew that it was short for ‘pig’─ they were calling her Ms. Pig. She patted the girl’s head, “It’s Celeste dear, you don’t have to be so formal with me” she scolded politely. Everyone had thought it odd that Celeste had kept her mother’s maiden name instead of her fathers. Everyone except her father. He had insisted that she keep the family name alive and to be proud of her Japanese heritage. Kotone’s family was delighted and agreed to keep it that way. She smiled down at the girl before adding, “Besides, it’s Saturday. How about we have a little fun before lessons?” She squeezed Lain’s shoulder and moved aside. “Come on in.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lain said. She removed her shoes and left them on the low shoe cubby by the stairs. Sighing, and shaking her head, Celeste led the girl up the stairs. She was such a sweet, and sensitive girl. Lain was well beyond her other primary school students. They would often get into college level compositions and even those began to bore the girl. She was no doubt a genius, and she was barely seven years old. Celeste frowned, remembering the day that she had found out about Lain’s past. A robber had been taken by surprise, unfortunately for Lain’s parents, and with the sound of two gunshots, he had effectively ended three lives.

It was heartbreaking, knowing that Lain's family didn’t support her. Especially since they were all that she had. They called the arts pointless and a waste of time. It made her sick every time Celeste thought about Lain’s foster parents and the girl's obvious talent. She could have lived a different life─ one full of love and support. The child reminded Celeste of herself, eager to learn and in love with classical music. Something that was incredibly hard to come by in children.

“Alright” Celeste began, “would you like any tea or cakes before we start?” She of course knew that Lain would love them, yet always knew to ask. She once forgot to ask and Lain had thrown a fit yelling that she didn’t need anyone to feel sorry for her. The girl was sensitive when it came to such things. Celeste had a sinking feeling that she wasn’t being fed properly. She wanted more than anything to adopt Lain but it wasn’t an option. As long as a relative lived, it was near impossible to take a child away. The family the girl stayed with was living off of social security checks that arrived for her every month.

Judging by Lain’s clothing, not a single thing had been purchased for her in quite some time. She wore hand-me-downs with large holes in them that had obviously been worn by someone twice her size. And the shoes on her feet (one of maybe two pair that she owned) had to have the soles glued back on to them at least once every few weeks. Lain's hair was long, and was often in need of grooming. Which obviously no one at that house knew how to do. So, every Saturday Celeste would allow the girl time to do as she pleased around her home. Which usually involved a bath, some tea, and T.V. She was quite grown up for a six year old, not bothering to run or play like most. She would buy Lain clothing and shoes, but after trying that several times, realized they would use them on their own child, or sell them out of spite. It was as if they wanted her to suffer.

Celeste knew that it didn't matter. This girl would grow up into a beautiful woman. She always marveled at Lain’s long, flowing curls. Her natural color was a stunning golden blonde with strawberry highlights. Lain’s eyes sparkled like the dew on two fresh mint leaves, and her skin was a flawless ivory. No amount of rags could hide this radiant being. The girl nodded at Celeste's question as a smile broke out across her face.

“Yes, please. May I have the strawberry filled kind?” She was practically gushing and it warmed Celeste's heart. Nothing could make Lain light up more than sweets. “Of course, sweetheart,” Celeste called as she stepped into the kitchen. She placed the kettle on the stove top, peering over the counter as Lain started her scales. She smiled at the girl’s exquisite piano playing. A few more years and she would be teaching Celeste a thing or two.

She prepared the tea as her mind wandered back to what happened earlier. Why did he come back? The biggest question was why were his clothes torn and he looked like he had been beaten so badly? She glanced over at her cell, playing with the idea of calling John. Though tempting, she quickly decided against it. The last thing Celeste needed was to talk with him so soon. She needed to give him space and hopefully she would hear back from him tonight. If there was anything that she had learned, it was his need for space. At times, his aloof nature could be infuriating, and yet other times he was wildly affectionate. He was a walking contradiction. Celeste sighed and pulled the squealing kettle from the stove. She arranged the cakes on the plate, and then walked over to the dining table. Lain started her warm up piece as Celeste sat down, admiring the young girl's playing. She watched as the tiny prodigy swayed back and forth, lost in Mozart’s Piano Sonata. She had not mastered that until her Fourth Grade Year. Such talent.

* * *

Celeste waved goodbye to Lain and closed the door. She had barely reached the top of the stairs when a loud knock sounded from the front door. She jogged back downstairs, annoyed. Why on earth did I want these stairs again? She thought as she peered through the peephole. Celeste slowly opened the door and shielded her eyes from the afternoon sun.

“May I help you?” She asked, her voice trembling.

“Hi there, are you miss─” he trailed off and looked down at the clipboard he held in his hand.

“Ms. I-n?”

“Inoue, yes, what is it? What’s going on?”

“My name is Detective Wallis, with the Richardson Police Department. I need to have a word with you.” “Of course,” she said. She stepped back, allowing him in. The man paused, looking at the shoe cubby and then removed his shoes. Observant and polite? she liked that. It had taken John several months before getting that right. And he still walked on the floor with shoes from time to time. Celeste offered the detective a cup of tea as they walked upstairs to the living room. He waved his hand and denied the offer. He seemed to not have much time to spare. She walked around and took her cup off of the counter before returning. The detective removed his hat and got straight to the point.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your afternoon, ma’am, but I understand that a missing child was one of your students. We are searching for any clues that may lead to her whereabouts.” She gasped as he mentioned the missing child part and nearly dropped her tea.

“Would you mind answering a few questions for me, Ms. Inoue?” She blinked at his pronunciation of her name─ the inflection was near perfect.

“Of course officer, that’s terrible,” she said. “Please, call me Celeste,” she added as she sat down. She drew in a breath and rubbed her eyes. This was the last thing she needed. Now, on top of John acting like a crazy person, one of her students was missing. She tried thinking back to who it could possibly be. Had any of her students not come this week? “Okay,” she started, “So, when did the child go missing? What did you say their name was again?”

“I’m sorry, I guess I didn’t,” Detective Wallis said as he flipped through his folder.

Celeste stared openly at him as he thumbed through his casefile. He was a tall, kind-faced man with brown hair, hazel eyes, and tawny skin. His attire didn’t read cop at all. Dressed in a cream pullover sweater and black slacks, he looked like the kind of man she usually saw in Daddy’s office. Complete one-eighty from John. The only thing that gave him away was the badge on his belt. She had always preferred the bad boy look, but this guy could give any man a run for his money. Maybe switch out the sweater for a tight T-shirt and some fitted jeans, oh yeah. Her cheeks grew hot, burning with shame.

What’s wrong with me, I have a man. A good one too─ get your head out of the gutter, she scolded. Her eyes darted to the floor as she fought to control herself. Something about this guy drew her in. Clearing her thoughts, she went to ask him a question. He surprised her with a comment before she could ask, “Oh, I almost forgot, my name is Daniel.” He smiled warmly at her and went back to his files. He found the page that he was looking for and leaned forward, gesturing at the girl’s photo.

“This is her, Lain Carrick,” his voice took on a professional tone, “she is mainly your─” a few shuffles of paper sounded as he read through, “Ah. Saturday student. Her adoptive parents reported Lain missing one week ago.” She blinked several times, trying to figure out if this was actually a prank, or really happening. She stared down at this badge and the shield number. It was definitely real, and so were his files. He cleared his throat and scanned a few more notes in front of him. “They have reason to believe she may have disappeared after one of your lessons─”

“I’m sorry,” she interrupted, holding up her hand, “but, what you are saying to me is simply impossible.” She said staring at the picture.

“Excuse me?” Daniel asked, looking up. He looked more surprised than annoyed. His eyebrows had raised, and his eyes were wide.

Celeste noticed for the first time that he had beautiful flecks of green and gold around the center of his eyes. They stared at each other for several seconds, the magnetism pulling her deeper within the earthy green and brown. They were beautiful, innocent eyes that should not belong to someone that has seen so much death and wrong in the world. Why am I thinking about this now? Caught off guard, she stuttered a bit before continuing.

“That can’t be possible,” she stated firmly, “Lain was here a few moments ago─ you would have seen her walking out the front door.” A strange look passed over the Daniel’s face as he stared at Celeste. After a few moments, he spoke, “Are you sure it was just a little while ago? I know sometimes I can let time slip away from me if I’m watching a show or say─” “Detective Wallis, I don’t mean to sound rude, but I know for a fact it was only a few seconds. I had barely made it up the stairs before you were at my front door.”

Her cheeks colored at the heat in her voice. It wasn’t like her to blow up so easily. She drew a breath to calm herself, then continued, “I’m sorry, I’ve been through a lot lately and I’m really confused right now.” She hugged herself, rubbing up and down her arms. She wasn’t sure how much more crazy she could take this week. Murphy, you son of a bitch, stop spreading your law in my corner of the universe─ I don’t need anything else to go wrong in my life. Realizing that she had been quiet for several seconds, she hastily asked, “You say they reported her missing an entire week ago?” Daniel nodded, his soft rumble inviting, “Yes, that’s right. Her aunt said that it had been that long since hearing from Lain.”

Celeste shook her head and sighed, “I should have known they would wait this long to contact the police. They probably thought she ran away or went to her friend Carrie’s house.” She paused before adding under her breath, “though I can’t say I blame her.” Daniel gave her a knowing smile.

“So I’m guessing life at home isn’t exactly what you would call a fairy tale, huh?” Celeste nodded at his question as she continued rubbing her arms, trying to shake the chill from her body. “Yeah, when I talked with the foster parents they seemed more annoyed than worried. I got the sense that this might have happened before,” he said. Celeste was quiet as she reached out and gently squeezed Daniel’s arm.

“Yes, Detective, she has run away several times. I’m quite sure you will find that in your records.” She quickly released his arm. Her heart was racing so uncontrollably she was sure Daniel could hear it through her blouse. Unsure of what to do, she snatched at the tea to take a drink. Celeste felt bare under his gaze as she stumbled through her next sentence, “I’m afraid they don’t care much for her and it shows in every way.” She took a sip, looking over to the piano, “I’d adopt her if I could.” Startled that she had mentioned that last part in front of a stranger Celeste quieted and focused on her tea.

Daniel cleared his throat before answering,“Hey, I know what you mean. I’ve got a soft spot for kiddos myself.” She couldn’t look at his face, but her eyes found his hands. They seemed softly weathered, it was obvious that at some point in his life he had done hard labor. He shifted and she glanced up at his crisp collar that was peeking out from the pullover. His neck was slightly visible, and more of his smooth, sun-kissed skin was bare. It was clear that beneath all of that sweater was years of hard work and training. His shoulders were broad and his slacks strained against his legs. She cleared her own throat and looked into the kitchen, angry with herself. Sensing her unease, he added, “Well, if you know anything else or think of anything, let me know.” He shifted and pulled out a card, handing it to her. “We’ll do our best to find Lain.” His next sentence sounded genuine, “Some people have no business around kids. She couldn’t even tell me what color eyes Lain had.” She looked at him and smiled. Her smile faded as she caught a brief flash of anger on his face. Curious, she almost asked what he meant, but decided against it. You barely know him, don’t pry. His eyes hardened and Daniel moved away from her.

“I’ve got a few more stops today before we send out another search party. Looks like another all-niter.” His voice sounded guarded and her heart reached out to him. She was no psychologist, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out something was wrong.

“It was nice talking with you, Celeste,” Daniel smiled, holding out his hand. She took his hand and squeezed gently. She melted before his touch and it took all of her strength not to hug him. There was something welcoming in his presence, she could not place it and it disturbed her. You are acting like a High School girl, she chided.

Without thinking, her next sentence flew from her lips, “If you would like, after you make the next couple of stops, I can accompany you with the search. I know of several places that she might be staying or even hiding.” Daniel hesitated, then slowly inclined his head. “At this point I can use all the help I can get.” They decided to meet up later and Celeste walked him downstairs. “Green,” she blurted out. The detective cocked his head to the side confused. “Her eyes,” Celeste added. “Her eyes are green, like mint. Very vibrant and beautiful.” Daniel stared at her from the front step. He seemed intense, like he wanted to say something, but then thought better of it and nodded his head. “I’ll jot that down, thank you for all of your help.” He placed his hat back, as he handed him his shoes. He slipped them on, and walked outside. She pushed the door in place with a gentle click and locked the deadbolt. Her head leaned back on the door and she slid down to the floor. Her body felt so heavy. The dark wooden staircase in front of her might as well have stretched on for miles. First John, now Lain. What next?

* * *