"Well, if you figure it out, let me know, it sounds very interesting."
Soph does some summer reading and she makes lunch and plays DDR with Kevin and provides tech support on the watching of movies.
The summer progresses much as it began, with little deviation. Kevin's mother goes to work, he stays home, and he hangs out with Soph. He decides she is probably okay, unthaws a bit more and introduces her to Paddington, his bear. DDR happens, in spades. Art projects and cooking projects happen (Kevin sulks at being forbidden to use the oven by himself, but is very pleased when he can use it under supervision.) Before he even really notices it, a month has gone by. And in all that time, his mother has come home looking worried and tired once, and only once. He approves of this trend. She was looking too stressed. Less is better!
Until the day a couple weeks later, when Kevin's bed can be found to be empty of its usual occupant in the morning.
Tamara is not very coherent at the moment. "Kevin's gone, someone broke in and took him, his window's open, I don't know how Charles did it, he can't get in, but Kevin's still gone-"
"Hired a goon, befriended a demon, something," says Bella. "Okay, I'm going to wake Soph and my dad, chug a Mountain Dew, and go looking. Anything else besides the open window to go on?"
Tamara is normally very reserved. This is not a normal time. She starts to sob.
"I'm going to send my dad to your house, he's a cop, he knows - cop things," says Bella. "He'll check it out and call me."
Tamara does manage a "thank you." Then mumbles something that is probably a goodbye and hangs up to wait for Charlie.
"You having better luck?" he asks her.
"Soph's halfway through a finding spell. One of Kevin's socks somehow wound up in her purse yesterday so she didn't have to make a separate trip."
Tamara is sitting at the table in the kitchen, trying very hard not to get in the way and systematically shredding paper towels into tiny, tiny pieces.
"It's - are you sure you want to be there?" Sound of doors opening and closing as the sisters pile into their car.
"All right, fine - the sock aimed at Walsh and Maple, but don't make yourself a target and distract the fighters, okay?"
"I won't get involved," Tamara agrees immediately. "I just need to- not sit here and wait. I'll meet you there."