Lost

 Jonah disappeared.

 Heidi and her family had come for a visit.  The kids flocked outside as Dad was taking Adam to soccer.    Jonah had followed.  I noticed he was not with the kids as they flowed back into the house, and I began looking for him; in the house, in the yard...house...yard.  No where.

Front yard.

No.

Maybe down the sidewalk.

Not in either direction.

I ran passed the neighbor's house and saw that not only was the garage door open,

so was the door inside the garage...

the one that leads 

- to the pool.

I ran hard.

I looked into the bottom of the pool.

I suddenly came into my body and realized 

I was looking for my toddler at the bottom of a pool.

I freaked on the inside as I ran harder.

My bare feet tore on the sidewalk as I blasted from yard to yard,
 up and down the street,

joined by neighbors, friends, children, and even friend Jeff
from church who was driving by.

I ran back into the house and combed every room,

then again the back yard.

He had to be here.  The alternative was becoming unthinkable.

I prayed

"Lord, please, where is he?!"

 I saw the broken fence.

Maybe he was in the next yard over.

No.

But maybe (I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before) inside their house?

Maybe he had walked in and they didn't know.

I sent Heidi running to ask, while I headed for the phone to call 911.

"He's here!!!!"

a voice called.

I collapsed onto the brick wall in sobs.

It was learned later that Jonah had been invited in to play with little Max, 

and it was thought Ellie had seen him go in, but she didn't know, 

and had headed off to soccer with Adam and Dad.

I held him in my arms and kissed him.  

To him, he was never missing.

To me, he was gone forever.

Thank you, everyone, for looking for Jonah.

I'm still shaking and it's been two days.