Téa sits in a booth, sipping a tall glass of iced tea. Things had been so confusing lately. John had dumped her. That had hurt...not so much because it was him....but because it was yet another failure in her life. And little Megan Victoria...all those old memories....all the old guilt....
Téa swallows hard, trying to avoid them again. So much to deal with. She glances out the window of the diner, and almost immediately a smile lights up her face. She sees an adorable little blond haired girl bouncing along the sidewalk. Starr.
Her eyes mist up as a million thoughts run through her head. How big she's getting...how beautiful she is....how she must miss her father terribly.....
She bites her lip as Todd yet again pops to her mind. A stab of anger wells in her...quickly followed by regret...worry....and finally sadness. In her private moments, she thinks about how much she misses him...how it all went wrong for them....how angry she is....and how he still gets to her. No matter how mad she gets...she just can't seem to forget him.
The door to the diner swings open, and Starr enters, followed by Andrew and River. She immediately spots Téa and runs over, smiling.
"Tee!"
Téa opens her arms to the little girl, and grabs her in a warm hug.
"Mi estrella...how are you?"
"Okay....we came to get some lunch."
Téa smiles and looks up. "Great. Hi Andrew...hey River."
"Hi Téa," Andrew replies, "River...why don't we grab some drinks," he says, leading River away.
Settling Starr on her lap, Téa strokes the little girl's hair. She notices a sad look on Starr's face.
"Starr...what's wrong?"
Staring up at her with wide eyes, Starr asks, "Tee...when's Daddy coming home?"
Téa feels her eyes well up with tears. Just holding Starr was causing memories to come rushing back for her. She reaches down and strokes the little girl's face. "I'm not sure sweetie...but you know ...wherever he is...he loves you very much."
"I know...but I miss him."
"I know sweetie."
"Do you?"
Téa looks at Starr, on the verge of letting the tears flow. After a moment, she speaks in a ragged whisper.
"Yes, I do."
Starr nods. "Okay...I'll tell Fred to tell him you and me miss him...and then maybe Daddy will come home," Starr says matter of factly. Téa smiles.
"You do that."
"Starr....why don't you ask Carlotta your question," Andrew calls over.
"What's up Starr?" asks Téa.
"'Member when I saw you before..here? I lost my special crayons....and Reverend Carpenter says I should ask Carlotta if she found them."
Téa sets her down. "Well, then lets ask her."
They walk to the counter. Téa signals for Carlotta.
"Carlotta...did you happen to find a box of special crayons? Starr thinks she may have left them here."
Carlotta shakes her head. "Not that I recall...but why don't you check the lost and found?" She reaches under the counter and takes out the lost and found box. Téa lifts Starr up onto a chair, and they begin scrounging around it. After a few minutes, Starr shakes her head.
"Nope...maybe I left them at Jeannie's house," she says, looking at Téa. Starr notices that Téa is staring down into the box.
"Tee?"
No answer.
Starr reaches out and touches her shoulder.
"Tee...whatsa matter?"
Starr's touch brings her back into reality. She looks up at Starr.
"Huh? Oh...no luck?"
Starr shakes her head. Suddenly, Andrew calls her over for lunch.
Giving Téa a quick kiss goodbye, Starr runs over to Andrew and River.
Meanwhile, Téa's eyes have wandered back to the box. With a shaking hand, she reaches in and picks up the object that has so held her attention. A key...a simple key...yet so familiar to her.
Carlotta walks over.
"Mija?"
Téa looks up, clutching the key in her hand.
"What's that?"
Téa swallows hard. "Something I thought was gone forever...."
Carlotta looks at her, puzzled. She looks at the object Téa is holding.
"Téa...is that what I think it is?"
Téa nods. "Todd's key....I thought I threw it away....ended up in your lost and found."
Carlotta sighs, and holds out her hand. "Well...I'll make sure it gets in the trash this time."
Téa slowly shakes her head, and grasps the key tightly.
"No...I....I want it.....I want to see where it takes me," she says softly.
"Téa..."
"Carlotta...don't you see....it's a sign! It always comes back to Todd ....he's always in my life...everyday....I ...I need to do this...I don't know what's gonna happen...but I need to do this...for me....for Starr....and maybe even for Todd."
Carlotta shakes her head. A customer calls her and she walks away.
Still clutching the key, Téa grins slightly.
"You know....if Starr hadn't looked in this lost and found today...who knows how long this would have been there. She brought us together in the first place Todd...maybe...just maybe she's gonna bring you back to me too."

*********************************

Chicago, July 1999

The house in and of itself gives off a ghostly feeling. The furniture is covered with sheets, except for a few select pieces. Pictures on the walls have long become faded and yellowed. The only sounds come from upstairs, from what used to be a little boy's room.

The room is almost a shrine to his childhood....an act really. What the outside world saw was what was mirrored in this room. The football trophies, sports cards...typical boy stuff. But his childhood was anything but typical, and what took place behind the doors to this room was in complete opposition of the innocent child's life this room and its memories projected.

A light summer breeze whistles, causing the loose shutters outside the room to clack. He looks up, from his usual position in the corner. Long strands of brown hair hang over his face, a face bearing too much pain, too much paranoia, and too much confusion. Instinctually, at the sound, his paranoid reactions kick in, and he reaches for the gun sitting next to him, his hand poised to pick up and fire should an intruder invade his seclusion. As his hand touches the cool metal, his haunted hazel eyes drift to the only other items within his reach while he exiles himself in his own private prison....two picture frames...holding the loving faces of the two most important people in his life, their protective eyes watching over him as he endures his own private hell....