I couldn’t believe this was happening.

All at once, my whole fucking world was closing in on me.

My heart was beating so loud that I could hear it in my eardrums.

The very thing I’d been worrying about all along finally happened. And there was nothing I could do about it.

I held the red note in my hand and read it a million times over.

“We went to Six Flags. I want the 2 million in a briefcase and in your living room.”

I was being extorted and my life, my son, Dylan was being used as collateral. How the hell did I let this shit happen?! How did I let everything get to this point?!

Tearing through the house, I ripped apart every sheet, pillow, cabinet, and door to see if Dylan was still somewhere inside and that this was some kind of trick. I looked under every bed and in ventilation shafts and I still couldn’t find him.

My eyes were getting watery and my heart was getting heavy. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Some invisible thing was choking me.

Get it together Paul. You need to find your son.

I stumbled through my condo and suddenly cursed myself for having such a big fucking house. My phone in my pocket was vibrating off the hook.

It was probably April.

I had tunnel vision.

I couldn’t even form a sentence.

One destination. Six Flags. I need to get my son.

I shoved myself into my beamer and revved the engine, taking off down the highway as fast as the damn car would allow me to go.

“Fuck fuck fuck!!!” I slammed my hands on the wheel and swerved into another lane. I caught myself and regained control of the wheeling, zooming back into the other lane.

Horns honking…

Highway…

Can’t think. Can’t fucking think.

I pressed the dashboard and answered my phone from the car. April was probably worried sick.

“Paul? Paul is everything okay?! They said you had an emergency!!”

“Dylan, he’s gone. I’m going to go find him. Someone took him April. I need you to go back to my condo and call the police. Wait for me there.”

“Oh my god. Okay, I will!”

I hung up the phone and took the car from 75 miles an hour to 85.

The theme park was almost two hours away from my house and my palms were sweating at the thought that I might be too late.

I couldn’t lose him. I just couldn’t fucking lose him.

All I could think about is how tightly I would grip the neck of the son of a bitch that took my son. They wouldn’t see another day in their life.

And then my anger went to worry. And the worry to fear.

The longer I was driving on the winding highway the more my body was filling with dread.

What if the worst happened?

“Dad’s coming to get you Dylan. You just be strong for me champ.”

When I finally got to the park I didn’t even bother parking in the right spot. I launched myself out of that damn car and went crazy all over the park looking for my son.

I was an ant in the jungle.

I ran all over the place, waited at every ride and lapped the place almost four times. Then I finally settled on going to the security.

I was spent. Out of breath.

I barged up to the glass by the security desk huffing and puffing. The man behind the desk looked at me like I was a fucking alien.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for my son. He was kidnapped and taken here. Someone has him. You need to make an announcement now!!!” I banged my hands against the glass and the idiot behind it just continued to look at me like I was an alien.

“I SAID YOU NEED TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT NOW!!”

“Sir, I’m gonna need ya to calm down now. We don’t allow anyone to bang on this glass. You need to relax.” I was now two seconds away from knocking this damn glass down.

“Calm down?!! Did you just hear what the hell I said?! My. Son. Is. Missing! You fucking moron!” Passing eyes stopped what they were doing and looked at me like I was a crazy man, but I didn’t care. My son was my world and right now it felt like that world was spiraling down.

“Sir, what’s your son’s name? We’ll make an announcement right now.”

“His name is Dylan Gray. Tell him his dad Paul his here to get him. Tell him to come here now so we can go home.” Fuck, I was choking up. Everything was hitting me all at once. The security guard grabbed the microphone and turned it on, clearing his throat into it.

“Dylan Gray, your dad Paul is here waiting for you. Please make your way through the park and meet him at security.”

Everyone looked suspicious. Every face was the person who did it. I just couldn’t make sense of anything anymore.

I must’ve waited at that godforsaken security booth for two hours. Dylan still didn’t show up. My knees dropped to the floor.

My son was gone and it was all my fault. It was my fault I couldn’t do anything for him. It was my fault for getting to-

I wanted to chug my phone to the ground. The ringing was driving me crazy.

“April’s calling??”

Time stood still for a second and I answered the phone.

“April, is everything okay? Is Dylan back?!!” There was a short pause and some slight muffling before she answered.

She cleared her throat, “Hi Paul…umm, everything is okay. Dylan is safe and playing in his room right now.” A huge plume of relief came over me and the tension in my muscles eased up. But something didn’t sound right.

April sounded scared.

“April is someone in there with you right now?? Are the police on their way?!”

“Don’t …say anything…” The muffled sound of a voice in the room with April turned my guard back up.

“Baby, who’s in there with you?! What’s going on?!”

She whispered so gently I could hardly make out what she was saying. “Paul…she has a gun to my head. I couldn’t call the police.”

My eyes widened.

The situation went from catastrophic to hellish in a matter of minutes.

“You hang on tight April, I’m coming. The cops are going to be there soon. Hang on for me baby. April?...April?!!” The line went silent.

“Fuck!!!”

I dashed back to my car and sped down the highway once again.

She had April at gunpoint. There was only one “she” that could be.

Lorrie fucking Wills.

* * *

Red and blue flashing everywhere. I didn’t know whether to still be worried or relieved.

I parked my car and before I could dash inside the house, my attention was drawn to a blood-curdling scream.

“Is that…Lorrie?!” Yes it was.

She was laying against the pavement with her hands in handcuffs. Screaming at the top of her lungs, the officers were working to load her in the back of their cruiser.

So it was her all along.

“Excuse me, are you Dr. Gray?”

I didn’t even have anything left in me to utter a word. I nodded my head dragging my feet towards the front door of my condo.

“Everything is clear in your estate sir. You’re free to go in. Your son and April Madison are waiting for you inside. We’ll be in touch with you to collect statements.”

I walked inside and Dylan plowed into me.

“Daddy! I missed you so much daddy! I went to Six Flags today with Ms. Lorrie, it was fun but the police guys say she has to leave now…” I rubbed his back and kissed his head as hard as I could.

“Yeah son, you won’t be seeing her for a long time. I’m so glad you’re okay.” April emerged from the stairs and walked down placing her arms around us. “Dylan, why don’t you get ready for bed?”

“Okay dad!” He ran back up the stairs and I pulled April close to me.

“Thank goodness you’re okay. I almost lost my mind out there.” I held her in a tight embrace and felt a few teardrops on my skin.

“This was what you were protecting me from…I’m so sorry Paul.”

“C’mon. Let’s all go inside and put this behind us.”

I held Dylan’s hand and we all walked back into the condo.

It was way past time for Dylan to go to sleep so I motioned for April to wait for me in my suite while I tucked him in.

“I’m glad April is back dada.” Dylan snuggled into his cover and I kissed him on the forehead.

“Yeah, me too champ. Get some sleep. You have to be up bright and early for school tomorrow.” I plugged his dinosaur nightlight in and walked out of his room.

It felt so good to finally get down to the bottom of the person leaving those damn notes. Turns out Lorrie just wanted to extort some money out of me.

Should’ve seen that coming.

I never want anything like this day to happen ever again. If I’m going to protect my patients in the hospital, I’m going to protect my son and…April.

She sat on the sofa in the living room and ran her fingers through her hair. Even though she was held at gunpoint by a crazy lady that was practically a stranger to her, she handled the whole situation with a crazy amount of grace.

“There’s my superwoman.” I hopped over to the couch next to her and threw my arms around her. The soft sound of her exhale was so gentle it could’ve put me to sleep. “I’m sorry April. I wouldn’t have guessed that it was Lorrie behind all of it.”

“All of what?”

“I never told you because I didn’t want to worry you, but Lorrie was leaving notes on my door at night. Threatening money out of me.” Thinking back on it, I should’ve gotten the police involved then and there.

Spilled milk now.

“Let’s not talk about it Paul. I understand why you did it. Let’s just go to bed babe.” She turned towards me and those vibrant green gems sparkled.

“Alright, let’s go.” I leaned in for a kiss and ran my hand against her cheek. My heart was aching. There was something that I needed to say to her.

“April, I…”

Shit…this was way harder than they made it seem in the movies. And looking at her beautiful face stare at me in amusement wasn’t making it any easier.

“What’s up Paul?” She smiled at me and I couldn’t help but smile back. There was no doubt in my mind that she was the one. I didn’t have a single doubt anymore.

“I love you. I don’t know how you did it to me, but I love you too much. There’s no turning back from this now.” For some reason, I couldn’t look her in the face and I held my head down. She held it up with the gentle touch of her finger.

“I love you too Paul…I-I really do.”

Bringing those tender lips to mine again I kissed her softly, tasting every part of her.

April was mine. And I’d give my all for her.