<br/>It had become a routine for Catherine to spend the winter break with her father, Michael, so it did not take long for her pack up her small impeccably organized room. The entirety of her belongings were able to fit in three large boxes, seldom her clothes and a select assortment of shoes which were packed in two large suitcases, as well as her passport and a variety of other important documents. It all fit neatly, albeit a bit snugly in the back of her second-hand Subaru outback.<br/><br/>It could have been any other weekend or vacation except for a few minor (major) details- the first being that she was actually happy; the second was that she would not be staying longer than the night- long enough to bring home her belongings and say her goodbyes before leaving first thing in the morning with Jonah.<br/><br/>Typically, this trip would be a sad one- she would be returning home where the ghost of her mother left an emptiness in her heart and where she was haunted by bad memories. Had it not been for Michael- her lonely loving father, her rock- she would never go back. She loved him dearly, however, and her mother’s passing and circumstance had brought them closer than ever. It was this that dampened her spirits slightly, weighing her down with guilt- he did not have much other than Cat.<br/><br/>She thought of the day before, when Jonah had asked her to go home with him to Sweden and of the whirlwind that had been the past week. It was absolutely crazy- she barely knew this man- nothing of his aspirations, his family and very little of his childhood, and yet she knew everything she needed. It was as if they had lived out an entire life-time together in the few days they had known each other and the love and passion he inspired in her was undeniable. He filled the void in her heart with a warmth and happiness she hadn’t experienced in years. And she loved him for it.<br/><br/>She knew that her father would understand- he too was a whimsical, hopeless romantic- it was where she had gotten it from. When her mother was still around, they would often joked that she was the husband in the relationship- she never missed the superbowl, always forgot dates, and couldn’t keep house to save her life. He would understand. He would have to. She hoped.<br/><br/>It wasn’t a long trip, and soon she was pulling into the freshly plowed driveway of their small home. As always, the house was cozy and warmy lit- it was small, but looked much bigger due to clever decorating- an open concept, vaulted ceilings, the walls a lovely shade of cream. Many windows, pops of color, mirrors and plants leant much more space and life to the simple, two story home.<br/><br/>He sat waiting in his usual spot- the recliner in front of the wide-screen TV that was mounted above the electric fireplace, which was crackling merrily. His tall, lanky frame seemed a bit fuller than usual and some of the ghosts had left his eyes- he looked happy, healthy. This brought warmth to her heart- he hadn’t been the same since her mother had passed away and he typically had seldom more to happy for than her.<br/><br/>“Kit-Cat!” He exclaimed with excitement as he sprang to his feet to embrace- he towered over her diminutive form as she hugged him back. She felt oddly optimistic- everything would be fine. Something told her it would all work out. But she had plenty of time to deal with that later- they had catching up to do, and today would be the last time that she would see him for a while.<br/><br/>The rest of the day went by smoothly, the only difference being the atmosphere in the home- although they were always happy to see each other, it was difficult for either of them to pull out of their grief long enough to properly communicate. It usually ended up with Cat reading in her window seat while her father watched the news nearby.<br/><br/>After a quick inventory (Cat’s genuine preparedness and organization was very much a learned trait as her father always kept a well-stocked fridge and pantry) they spent the first half of the day prepping meals together and getting caught up- it turns out Cat wasn’t the only one with someone special in her life- his high-school sweet-heart had lost her husband not long after Cat’s mom had passed and they recently rekindled her flames.<br/><br/>She supposed this bit of news should have bothered her, and perhaps it would have had it not have been for Jonah- but she couldn’t be upset. All she felt was happiness that her father had found love again. He deserved it.<br/><br/>“I missed your smile,” Her father said lovingly, his tone revealing a touch of sadness as he surveyed her from across the table. “You look so much like your mother- so beautiful… but there is something you are not telling me…”<br/><br/>“Dad,” Cat said cautiously- she did not want to make her father sad. “I’m not staying this time... Jonah asked me to meet his family in Sweden…”<br/><br/>He took a bite of his lasagna and nodded in agreement- he did not look upset or angry; instead he had the same air about him as someone who accepts that the sun rises in the east and sets in west- it was inevitable.<br/><br/>“You’re not upset…” the words came out slow in her confusion, like they were made out of molasses.<br/><br/>“Ah, Kitty Cat, how could I be upset?” He grinned, giving her hand a delicate squeeze over the table.  “For the first time in years you are genuinely happy. You are smiling. Anyone can see that you are in love. As a father, I couldn’t hope for more.”<br/><br/>Cat’s eyes brimmed with tears of happiness as he continued… “You are smart, kind and beautiful and you deserve far more adventure than this small town has to offer. To not trust in your judgement is a lack of faith in the way that I raised you.”<br/><br/>“Are you sure you will be okay?” She implored, overwhelmed with his support.<br/><br/>“I’ve seen enough romantic comedies to know that if you don’t follow the one you love you will regret.” He said with a laugh- romantic comedies were a shared guilty pleasure. “Go live your life… just don’t forget about your old man. I love you.”<br/><br/>“I love you too…”<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>“I’m awake!” Cat suddenly jolted upright, startled out of her sleep at he the loud ping resounded in the cabin, followed by the flight attendant’s smooth clear voice, reminding the passenger’s to buckle up their seatbelts and prepare for descension.<br/><br/>After spending much of their journey awake, not wanting to miss a single detail (it was her first time traveling by plane) she had fallen asleep. The ascension had taken off without a hitch, to her surprise, despite her mild anxiety before takeoff.<br/><br/>She could  feel the plane tip forward ever so slightly as it started to glide down, shaking and she felt her fear skyrocket. This emotion intensified as she realized that Jonah had gotten up while she was napping, presumably to use the bathroom, and he was nowhere in site<br/><br/>She felt the room spin uncomfortably as her anxiety quickly developed into a full-scale panic attack, hyperventilating. Cat leaned forward, burying her face in her hands to try to block out the  room.<br/><br/><em>Where was Jonah?</em><br/>