She arrives home an hour later to see Greg's car parked in front of her house. She sighs loudly. Her eyes feel heavy from crying and she rubs them roughly, thinking of how difficult it will be to break the news to Greg.
She lets herself into the house and glances into the kitchen. There is a bottle of champagne and a bouquet of fresh flowers resting cheerily on the counter. The sight of them causes her to burst into tears again. She leans against the doorjamb, sobbing loudly. She hears footsteps behind her and then feels a comforting hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she sees Greg's concerned face through her tears. She collapses into his arms, letting her sobs resume louder than they were before.
"Oh Melinda…" he says softly, stroking her hair. "I'm so sorry… I'm so very sorry, sweetheart."
She doesn't respond, but holds on to him tighter, letting her disappointment reveal itself fully. There is silence for a few minutes, save the sound of Melinda's grief-stricken sobs.
"I thought I had found him," she mumbles into his sweater, finally. "I really thought my search was over."
"I know," he says. "I thought so, too."
She pulls back, looks into his eyes and nods absent-mindedly.
"I'm going to go and wash my face. I'll be back in a minute," she says.
"I'll put on some tea. Take your time."
When she returns from the bathroom, she sees that the champagne and flowers have mysteriously disappeared. She smiles a little, and slides into the chair by the counter. Greg sets down a steaming mug of chamomile tea in front of her.
"Drink this. It will help you feel a little better."
She nods and wraps her hands around the hot mug. Then she tells him the story of 14 Willow Drive.
When she is finished, he sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "We'll just have to keep searching, that's all," he says. "He's out there. I know he's out there. And I know you'll find him one day."
She is silent for a moment. "I know. I think I expected too much of myself. I figured I would find him right away, but it's taking much longer than I expected. I'm impatient and I'm disappointed. I'm just going to have to live with that, I suppose."
He laughs a little at her words. "Impatient you are," he says affectionately. "Impulsive, too."
She smiles. It is the first time she's really smiled in a few hours. And it feels good.
"Now tell me what I missed at the hospital tonight. Anything exciting?"
"Oh yes," he says. "We got our new uniforms. Luckily I brought yours with me. Let me go get it. I want to show you mine, too!"
He gets up to go out the door when the phone rings. He looks at it and then looks back at her. "Want me to get it?" he asks.
"Nah," she responds. "I'll get it. Go get the uniforms."
"Aye, aye," he says. The door slams shut behind him.
She turns to the phone and looks at it for a few seconds. Then she picks it up reluctantly. "Hello?"
"Melinda! I hope I'm not calling too late." There is a pause. "This is Wayne."
She feels her stomach drop to her feet. "Wayne! What a surprise! Is everything alright?" In her mind she thinks, 'This is the last thing I need tonight.'
"Perfectly," he responds. "Your… your boyfriend told me where you were tonight. He said you had a family matter to take care of…" There is silence on the other end of the line. And then: "Did you find him?"
 
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