COOPER
The address is not exact, which means that I'm basically driving around a small area in Rockland, keeping my eye out for Debbie's car. This is getting more and more challenging as the sun drops in the sky.
And of course, I have no reason to believe she's actually here. She has turned off location sharing, which means she could be anywhere. But this is the last address that she's been to recently that is unfamiliar to me. So I've got to check it out.
It's my only hope to find her.
I've been driving around the general area for about twenty minutes when I come across a dead-end street. There are two houses on the street, one of which looks completely abandoned. The other one looks like somebody does live there, but all the windows are dark. It doesn't seem like anyone is home.
I almost turn around, but then I notice it. There are cars parked here. Around the side of the second house.
And one of them looks familiar.
I can't get that close in my car, so I park and start walking toward the end of the street. The house is definitely dark, but I want to get a better look at that car. Is it possible that it belongs to Debbie?
As I get closer, I can see that it's a blue Subaru Outback, just like Debbie's. But that doesn't mean it's necessarily hers. It's parked next to another car, which also seems weirdly familiar, but I can't place it at the moment.
I stare at the license plate of the Subaru. Is that Debbie's plate number? Christ, I don't know. It's difficult for me to remember my kids' birthdays; license plate numbers are out of my wheelhouse. It does look familiar though.
I peer through the window of the car, hoping to see her purse or anything that looks like it belongs to her.
Debbie doesn't leave much inside her car—she's very neat—but I do see a pair of sunglasses in the cupholder and recall how she always leaves them there.
I remember, because I always want to put my Big Gulp there after Izzy's soccer games, and it's always occupied by Debbie's sunglasses.
This is Debbie's car. But where's Debbie?
I walk back to the front of the house. All the windows on both floors are dark. It really looks like nobody is home. But if nobody is home, why would Debbie be here? Why would Debbie ever have been here?
I go to the front door of the house and press my finger against the doorbell, holding my breath. I don't know why she'd be here, but maybe if I come clean with her, she'll come clean with me.
Except nothing happens when I ring the doorbell. It must be broken.
I knock on the door, loud enough that at least anybody on the first floor would hear. I don't hear any movement behind the door, so I knock again.
Still nothing.
All at once, I am banging on the door with both fists. I know Debbie is here. That's her damn car outside, and there's nowhere else she could be. I need to talk to her right now. I need to figure out a way to make this right, because I can't lose her. I can't.
I've been so stupid. I should have come clean with her about everything. I didn't want her to lose respect for me, but nothing is worse than lying.
"Debbie!" I'm shouting now. "Debbie! Please come out! I need to talk to you!"
There's still no sound from behind the door. But she's here. She must be.
"Debbie!" I'm shouting loud enough that my voice is growing raspy. "Debbie! I love you!"
I think I'm too late.