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  EMAIL

  From: Jeffery Dalton

  Subject: Road Trip with your Dad?

  Date: Monday, May 28, 2015 11:03 AM EST

  To: Claudia Dalton

  Hey Claudia,

  When school’s out, why don’t we drive up to Papa’s for a visit, just you and me. Last time I was there I found some old home movies I wanted to show you. Maybe we could do a few puzzles too. What do you think? Could be a fun father-daughter trip!

  Love,

  Dad

  NOTE TO READER

  MY HEART DROPPED when I saw his message. I’d completely forgotten about it. In fact, I remembered being a little annoyed when I’d received it. It was kind of weird. We could watch movies and do puzzles at home. And besides, when school was out, I was looking forward to hanging out with Kate and my other friends at the pool.

  So I hadn’t responded to the email. Dad had asked me about it at dinner a few days later when Mom was working late, but I guess my lack of enthusiasm must have shown on my face, because he said, “Oh, don’t worry about it! We’ll do it another time.” And he’d never mentioned it again.

  I felt so guilty. Why hadn’t I agreed to spend one weekend doing what my father had wanted? Why hadn’t I thought about my grandfather? Worst of all, I couldn’t shake the thought that if I had agreed to Dad’s plan, maybe he wouldn’t have disappeared.

  And that’s when I came up with the idea.

  PHONE TRANSCRIPT

  Claudia Dalton’s Cell Phone | Tuesday, June 30, 2015, 3:15 p.m.

  Papa: You want to stay with me while your mother goes to Switzerland?

  Claudia: Yeah!

  Papa: Claudia, your grandmother just died. I’m not sure I’m ready to—

  Claudia: I’m a really easy guest.

  Papa: I don’t know.

  Claudia: I’ve thought it through. We could watch the movies Dad left at your place. And I could keep you company and—

  Papa: Claudia, I’m not sure I’m up to company right now. It’d be great to see you, but—

  NOTE TO READER

  I GOT THE HINT—HE didn’t want me to visit—but I decided to pretend I didn’t understand.

  Because, truthfully, I was desperate. Once I found the old email from Dad, I knew I had to go stay with Papa. I had to go see those home movies. I had to believe they’d give me a clue to why he’d left.

  Anyway, I kept arguing. Mom eventually joined in the call. She liked the idea. Thought it would be good for Papa too. And finally, together, we wore him down.

  VOICE MEMO

  Walter Dalton’s Cell Phone | Wednesday, July 1, 9:15 a.m.

  [RECORDING BEGINS]

  Lily, you’re not going to believe this. Somehow, Claudia talked me into letting her stay with me while her mother goes to Switzerland.

  I’m not sure why I agreed. Dr. Larkin said I should shake things up a bit. I don’t know, maybe it will be good for me. It’s only for two weeks. Claudia was very insistent, and the house is too quiet with you gone. Still, I’m a little nervous. What do I know about twelve-year-old girls?!

  [RECORDING ENDS]

  TEXT MESSAGE

  Claudia Dalton’s Cell Phone | Wednesday, July 1, 2015, 12:47 p.m.

  KATE

  You’re going to go stay with your grandfather?

  Yeah

  But I wanted you to stay with us

  My mom says two 12 year olds and a newborn are too much for your family to handle

  This baby is ruining my life already

  So when are you leaving?

  Friday

  Friday?!

  Mom’s flying out on Sunday

  She wants to go see the fireworks on Saturday

  Papa lives in Alexandria, right outside

  Washington, DC

  That’s almost two hours from Richmond!

  It’s a lot closer than

  Switzerland if Dad comes back

  But Claudia!

  You were supposed to take the

  babysitting/infant care class with me

  Oh, that’s right!

  It starts Monday

  We already paid for it

  I’m so sorry!

  But you can still go

  You know I hate doing stuff like that alone!

  I need you there!

  I’m really sorry, Kate

  But what am I supposed to do?!

  It was my grandfather or Switzerland!

  It’s okay

  Not your fault

  Not like you wanted your dad to disappear

  No

  And my mom was stressing about

  what she would say if your mom asked

  Is your mom doing okay?

  I guess

  She’s tired all the time

  Says it’s a lot harder being pregnant at 42

  than it was at 30

  She’ll be relieved you can go stay with family

  I’ll miss you

  Miss you too

  Come over for one last afternoon at the pool?

  Yes!

  NOTE TO READER

  OUR MOMS MET in prenatal yoga, so Kate and I have technically been friends since before we were born. Kate was an only child too, so we were really more like sisters. Preschool, birthday parties, vacations, summer camp—we did it all together.

  Kate’s parents had always wanted another baby, but after a couple of miscarriages, it seemed like they’d pretty much given up. Sometimes they’d joke about me being their second kid. And then, boom, her mom ended up pregnant at forty-two!

  Her mom had been pretty sick, and had about a bazillion doctor’s appointments. Kate’s parents were already really busy. None of us could quite figure out how they were going to work a new baby into their schedule, even with a full-time nanny.

  I don’t know why I didn’t tell Kate about the videotapes. Maybe it seemed like a long shot, even to me. I felt bad about letting her down, but I didn’t see any other choice.

  EMAIL

  From: Claudia Dalton

  Date: Thursday, July 2, 2015 11:03 AM EST

  To: Jeffery Dalton

  Subject: Going to Papa’s House

  Dear Dad,

  You’ve been gone almost a week now and I still have no idea why you left. It almost hurts more, knowing you left us on purpose. If you’d been murdered by a serial killer, at least that wouldn’t have been your fault.

  Anyway, I guess you forgot Mom is going to present at that big insurance conference in Switzerland next week. Remember?! She goes every year. I’m going to go stay with Papa for the next two weeks. Because I found the email you sent me. About the movies. I’ll watch them. I promise.

  It’s going to be strange to visit Papa without Nana. Do you remember the last time we saw her? We did that jungle puzzle with her, the one with all the animals—the tiger, giraffe, kangaroo—drinking at the edge of the river. Papa kept complaining, “Those animals don’t even live on the same continent!”

  But Nana thought the colors were beautiful. I did the parrot first, and the zebras were pretty easy too, but all those green leaves looked exactly the same. I thought we were never going to finish. But we did, in the end. I’m glad we didn’t give up. That was the last puzzle we ever did with her.

  Please come home.

  Love, Claudia

  DIRECTIONS

  YOUR TRIP TO:

  ALEXANDRIA, VA

  1 HR 38 MIN

  104 miles

  Driving time based on traffic as of 12:03 PM on July 3, 2015.

  Current Traffic: Moderate

  Turn right onto E Broad St

  Merge onto I-95 N tow
ard Washington

  Take US-1 exit 177B on the left toward Alexandria

  Turn right onto Duke St

  Turn right onto Calahan Dr

  Turn left onto Maple St

  Turn right onto Poplar Ln

  Your destination will be on the right.

  4821 Poplar Lane

  Alexandria, VA

  TEXT MESSAGE

  Claudia Dalton’s Cell Phone | Friday, July 3, 2015, 8:27 p.m.

  KATE

  Made it to Papa’s

  Good

  What you doing?

  Helping Dad paint the nursery

  Your dad is painting?

  Well, he’s not home yet

  I’m getting things ready

  He’ll be here soon

  What color?

  Buttercup yellow

  Nice

  Any word from your dad?

  No

  Sorry

  I better go

  Gonna watch some old home

  movies with Papa and Mom

  Have fun!

  Thanks

  Good luck painting!

  VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

  INT. PAPA’S KITCHEN—DAY

  Claudia is eight years old. She wears flowered pajamas and sits at the kitchen island, doing a puzzle with Nana. Her grandmother’s hair is gray and matches the trim on her fluffy pink robe. There are lines on her face, but her eyes are bright and sharp as she searches for pieces.

  Mom sips a mug of coffee; Dad pours himself a cup of tea. It’s early morning. Dad sits down on a stool next to Claudia.

  DAD

  What puzzle are you doing?

  CLAUDIA

  “Pirates and Buried Treasure.”

  DAD

  Can I help?

  CLAUDIA

  Sure.

  He picks up a piece and starts working. After a moment, Claudia sighs.

  CLAUDIA (CONT’D)

  I wish I could find a buried treasure. That’d be so exciting!

  NANA

  Well, I don’t know about treasure, but there is a time capsule in our backyard.

  CLAUDIA

  Really?!

  NANA

  Yes, your father buried it one summer. I think he was about thirteen. Never told anyone where it was.

  Claudia turns to her father, grinning.

  CLAUDIA

  Where is it?

  Her dad keeps his eyes firmly on the puzzle.

  DAD

  Oh, I don’t remember.

  Her mom stirs in her cream.

  MOM

  Well, what’s in it?

  DAD

  Nothing.

  MOM

  There’s got to be something.

  PAPA (O.S.)

  Probably a mixtape he made for some girl.

  Nana and Mom laugh.

  CLAUDIA

  Look! Daddy’s blushing.

  MOM

  Then it must be true!

  Dad blushes furiously and keeps working on the puzzle.

  * * *

  —————

  INT. RESTAURANT—NIGHT

  Claudia is younger here, maybe five years old. She’s wearing an American flag T-shirt and has stars painted on her cheeks. The whole family is out to dinner, sitting in a big booth.

  NANA

  Put that camera away.

  CLAUDIA

  Papa said I could sing him a song. He’s gonna tape it.

  NANA

  After dinner, sweetie.

  A very pretty young waitress, wearing a red, white, and blue blouse, comes up to the table and smiles at Claudia’s dad.

  WAITRESS

  What can I get you, sir?

  * * *

  —————

  INT. RESTAURANT—LATER

  Everyone’s done eating. Claudia, Nana, and Papa scoot out one side of the booth.

  CLAUDIA

  Can I sing now?!

  PAPA (O.S.)

  Go for it!

  Claudia launches into her song.

  CLAUDIA

  “O, say can you see! By the dawn’s early . . .”

  Mom and Dad pick up the boxes of leftovers.

  MOM

  That waitress was cute.

  DAD

  Really? I didn’t notice.

  She leans over and gives him a kiss.

  MOM

  Aren’t you a sweetie.

  Dad smiles, but he’s focused on Claudia, who is still singing, loudly and dramatically.

  CLAUDIA

  “. . . banner yet wave. O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!”

  NANA

  Yay! Great job.

  CLAUDIA

  Daddy taught me. Is it time for sparklers?!

  EMAIL

  From: Claudia Dalton

  Date: Friday, July 3, 2015 11:15 PM EST

  To: Jeffery Dalton

  Subject: In Alexandria now . . .

  Dear Dad,

  Papa was waiting for us on the front porch when we pulled up. He gave Mom and me a big hug, and if he looked a little thinner than he had at Nana’s funeral, we all pretended not to notice.

  I’m staying in your old room, like I always do. That mattress is so lumpy. And why didn’t Nana ever take down your Star Wars posters? Or replace the faded Charlie Brown sheets? The house always looks exactly the same, down to the photo of you when you were twelve on the coffee table.

  After dinner, I talked Mom and Papa into watching some of our old movies. In the first, I was about eight, and Nana was talking about when you buried a time capsule in the backyard. Do you remember that conversation? I didn’t until we watched it. I spent the rest of that weekend digging holes in Nana and Papa’s backyard, but I never found a thing.

  That was fun. I’d still like to hear that mixtape.

  The second was the 4th of July, the year you taught me “The Star-Spangled Banner” and I wouldn’t stop singing it. Do you remember?

  It was fun watching the videos, but I have to admit, I don’t know why you wanted me to see them. It’s just . . . normal stuff. Now it’s late, and I can’t sleep, and you probably aren’t reading these messages anyway. But just in case you are, please come home.

  Love, Claudia

  A Hometown

  CELEBRATION

  Maury School Playground

  Russell Road

  Alexandria, VA

  Saturday, July 4, 2015

  9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

  Hot dogs, hamburgers, soft drinks, popcorn, snow cones.

  Watermelon-eating contest!

  Relay races!

  Baby beauty contest!

  Dunking booth!

  Bike-decorating contest!

  For more information, contact Tisha Walters at 703-555-7831

  NOTE TO READER

  I DIDN’T REALLY WANT to go to the celebration at the local elementary school, but Mom insisted. The event was all babies and decorated bikes, dunking booths and cakewalks. I watched all the happy families strolling around, eating cotton candy and running relay races, and it made me a little sad. We used to be one of those families. With Dad gone—what were we now?

  Mom was quieter than usual. I guess the dogs with ribbons and snow cones weren’t enough to cheer her up. We came home after about an hour, bringing Papa a hamburger for lunch, and sat down to watch some more home movies.

  VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

  INT. AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM—DAY

  Six-year-old Claudia hangs on the railing, staring at something. She wears her hair in pigtails and has a chocolate ice cream stain on her shirt. The camera pulls out to reveal a huge spacecraft. Her dad stares with her.

&nbs
p; DAD

  Pretty amazing, isn’t it?!

  CLAUDIA

  Yeah.

  DAD

  Humans lived in orbit in a craft just like this one. Skylab was the very first space station.

  CLAUDIA

  Wow!

  Dad bends down so he’s at Claudia’s level and whispers in her ear.

  DAD

  What if we go home and build our very own space station?

  Claudia inhales in excitement.

  CLAUDIA

  Can we do that?!

  DAD

  I don’t see why not. All we need is a big box.

  * * *

  —————

  EXT. PAPA’S BACKYARD—DAY

  An old refrigerator box, aka the “space station,” sits under the cherry tree in the backyard. It has USA painted on one side. Claudia stands next to a picnic table, studying it, hands on her tiny hips.

  Dad comes out the back door, carrying a roll of aluminum foil.

  DAD

  Here it is! The foil we need to protect us from the sun.

  He pulls a huge piece off the roll and lays it flat on the picnic table.

  CLAUDIA

  But it’s supposed to be orange.

  Dad glances at the picnic table. There’s a basket of art supplies, markers, paints, and brushes.

  DAD

  We can paint it!

  He hands a cup to Claudia and squeezes in a little red and a little yellow paint. He hands her a Popsicle stick. She grins and stirs it as carefully as if it were a pot of gold.