Derek sat on the edge of his bed, the weight of despair heavy on his chest. It had been a week since his daughter, Amber, had vanished without a trace. The vibrant laughter that usually filled their home had been replaced by an unbearable silence. He couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, and every minute stretched into an eternity filled with fear and anxiety. The police were doing their best, but as each day passed without new leads, Derek felt hope slipping away.
At the police station, the officer had assured him, “As soon as we know something, we will inform you immediately.” But Derek couldn’t shake the feeling that time was running out. With each tick of the clock, his dread deepened. The posters with Amber’s smiling face hung on the walls of the station, and he wondered if they were just reminders of his helplessness.
That evening, as Derek drove home, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, each one more desperate than the last. The streets felt darker than usual, and shadows loomed larger, each one a reminder of his daughter’s absence. Just when he thought he couldn’t bear the weight of his despair any longer, something caught his eye.
A homeless woman sat on the sidewalk, shivering in the chill of the evening, clutching a worn backpack that seemed eerily familiar. Derek’s heart raced as he pulled over. He approached her cautiously, the hope flickering within him like a candle in the wind. “Excuse me, where did you get that backpack?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
The woman looked up, her eyes weary but sharp. “Found it at the bus station; some teenage girl left it behind,” she replied, her voice gravelly. Derek’s pulse quickened. He reached for the bag, his hands trembling as he unzipped it. Inside, he found a folded piece of paper. His heart leaped as he opened it to reveal an address labeled “Hostess Family.”
Without a second thought, he jumped back into his car and drove to the address, his mind racing with possibilities. Was it a clue? Had Amber been there? He clung to the hope that this could lead him to her.
Upon arrival, a woman answered the door, her expression puzzled. “I’m sorry, but I’ve never heard of Amber,” she said, shaking her head. Derek felt his heart sink. The glimmer of hope dimmed, and he fought back tears of frustration. With a heavy heart, he decided to return home, each mile a reminder of his lost daughter.
As he drove, his eyes caught sight of a familiar figure through the window of a café. It was Miranda, his ex-wife, sitting alone at a table. A knot of suspicion twisted in his stomach. Could Amber have come to see her? Driven by desperation, Derek parked and approached her.
“Miranda,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. “Have you seen Amber? She’s missing!”
Initially, Miranda shook her head, her expression guarded. “I don’t know anything, Derek.” But as Derek rifled through his memories of Amber’s belongings, he pulled out her inhaler from his pocket. It was a small item, but it felt like a lifeline. “I found this in your bag,” he said, holding it up. “What does this mean?”
The moment hung in the air, thick with tension. Miranda’s facade crumbled. “Okay, okay,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “She came to see me. But I thought she’d just want to talk. I didn’t know she’d run away.”
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the café doorway. Amber! She had overheard their conversation. Panic washed over her face, and she turned to flee. “Amber!” Derek shouted, his heart racing as he chased after her.
He found her a few blocks away, sobbing on a bench, her small frame shaking with emotion. “Amber!” he called out, desperation in his voice. She looked up, her tear-streaked face breaking his heart. Derek sat beside her, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on them both. “I’m so sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean to worry you,” she cried, her voice choked with remorse.
Derek wrapped his arms around her tightly, relief flooding through him. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You just wanted to meet your mom, didn’t you? But you scared me. I thought I’d lost you.”
Amber nodded, wiping her tears. “I just wanted to know her, Dad. I didn’t think…”
“I know, honey. But you’re grounded for two weeks,” he added, trying to lighten the mood with a playful tone.
A small smile broke through her tears, and Derek felt the tension in his heart ease. “Okay,” she said, sniffling but grateful to be back in his embrace.
As they sat there on that bench, the world around them faded into the background. In that moment, Derek realized that while the journey had been fraught with fear and uncertainty, they had found their way back to each other. They were a family, and no matter what challenges lay ahead, love would always guide them home.
ROYAL TRAGEDY. William and Kate are in shock.
When the Prince and Princess of Wales bought pizza for mountain rescue workers, they met a man selling pizza and wrote a touching funeral speech for him.
Father of two Peter Morris, who was 47 years old, died of cancer in May, not long after Kate was told she had it.
On notepaper from Kensington Palace, Prince William wrote his wife Tracey a letter of condolence. When he died, it was read.
“I can’t even begin to imagine what a huge hole he will leave in your life,” he wrote. “My heart goes out to you and your family.”
“Catherine and I had a great time meeting Pete.”
“We know Pete was a very dedicated and well-liked member of the community because of how people have responded to his death.”
“I wanted you to know that you and your family are thinking about you right now.”
In April of last year, Kate and Wills bought 12 pizzas from Peter’s converted VW van for £127.50. Peter is from Ebbw Vale in South Wales.
They gave the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team a choice of pizzas while they were at Dowlais Rugby Club in Merthyr Tydfil. The pizzas were margarita, pepperoni, BBQ chicken, and goats cheese.
At the time, Peter said, “They were really nice.” When I was setting up the business, I never would have thought that one day I would work for the young king.
In 2016, Pete opened Little Dragon Pizza Van.
He had beaten esophageal cancer, but doctors found it in his adrenal gland and liver four months after he became a royal. He died in less than a year, but the business keeps going.
The letter from William will be framed for Pete’s daughters, who are eight and five years old.
Tracey, who is 40 years old, told The Sun, “It was a huge surprise.” I have no idea how they learned that Pete had died. Because Kate is getting help, it may have struck a chord with them.
“He talked about how normal they were.”
“Many people wrote to tell us they loved Pete, but the letter from William and Kate was the most lovely.”
William wrote his wife Tracey a letter of condolence on paper from Kensington Palace.
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