"Mia!!!"
"MIAAAA!!!!"
I—Elena Martinez—called out at the top of my lungs. My little girl was missing.
Breathe!!! Breathe!!!
My chest felt tight as I ran through the park searching for her or searching for something that might help me locate her.
I turned left, right, up, down, and back around again. She wasn't there.
The sun was still high overhead, but already the temperature had risen enough that I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead.
Now was not the time to start having hot flashes.
Sweat trickled down every inch of me. It wasn't just the heat; it was the panic I couldn't seem to get over. Every second felt like an eternity. And all because of what happened fifteen minutes ago.
If something happened to her...
My daughter, Mia. My only child.