Finding Alex

Chapter 3

Birdie walked into the house and closed the front door quietly. 

She heard her parents arguing upstairs. They were not making an effort to be quiet. 

It's been like this since Alex went missing.

"Well try harder!" her father yelled slamming a door. She heard his footsteps walking down the hall and Birdie retraced her steps opening the front door and closing it loudly, she didn't want her parents to know she had heard them arguing.

"Hello Bridgette, how was school?" her father asked as he appeared and descended the staircase.

"Fine," she answered making her way to the kitchen. Her father followed her in.

"I'm leaving on Tuesday, going away for a week," he said pouring a coffee, "work."

From a very young age Birdie knew not to ask questions, asking questions gets you into trouble. She didn't know what her father did for work, other than he travelled a lot, came home late and always wore a suit. She knew they had money and lived comfortably. Her mother didn't work so whatever her father did was enough to fund her mother's mid-life crisis trips abroad and shopping addiction.

"Where to?" Her curiosity got the better of her. Her father stopped in his tracks,

"Europe," he responded vaguely, "is there anything you need?"

Birdie shook her head. He would get her something anyway. Some ridiculously expensive shoes, a bag worth more than what some people make in a year.

"Take care of your mother," he said before walking out of the room, she heard the front door close behind him. Cautiously she walked up the stairs, she walked past her parents' bedroom. She could hear her mother's quiet sobs from behind the closed door. She paused her hand on the handle. She should be used to her mother crying after all she had been through, but it never gets any easier. Seeing the people you look up to, the people who raise you and protect you, break down. She never knew what to do, how to comfort them. How can you comfort someone who has lost a child? Her fingers slipped off the doorhandle and she walked slowly to her own bedroom.

"Europe?" Zoe sighed over the phone.

"Yep."

"He is so lucky!"

Birdie sighed, "yep he is."

"I wonder if one day he will take you?"

Birdie rolled over on her bed onto her back, the shoulder holding the phone to her ear.

"That would never happen." Even the thought of it made Birdie laugh internally. The Deveraux family didn't do family holidays. They didn't do many family activities to be honest, the occasional barbeque with the neighbourhood families. She had never met her mother's side of the family, just through birthday cards and cheques. Her father's family had all passed, he an only child. Zoe's family was the closest she had to an extended family. Even Christmas was uneventful, the past years her and Zoe had spent it with Scott's family.

"We should take a trip," Zoe said suddenly.

"Where to?" Birdie asked entertaining the question. She stood up off her bed and walked towards her window. It was a Friday afternoon, people were out in the cold walking their dogs, a few gardening even.

"I don't know, where do you want to go?" Zoe asked.

"Anywhere, as long as it's far away," Birdie sighed.

"Deal."

Deciding to go for a walk to clear her head, Birdie headed off down the street. Her headphones sat comfortable on her head, and she shivered even in her oversized puffer jacket. She smiled as she passed the neighbours. Before she knew it she had walked almost across town. She looked ahead and saw a familiar intersection.