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Mandy continued talking with Tommy as his mother paid for the toys they were getting as gifts. She all but forgot about that mean Matt and how sick she'd been feeling as she had fun with her new friend.
"Lita is *really* your Mom?" the little boy asked, his face filled with as much awe as was present in his face. "No way!"
"Yeah!" Mandy exclaimed. "But I don't call her that. She's my Mommy and she's having a baby."
Tommy's eyes widened.
"Cool."
The boy's mother was finished making her purchases by now. She turned back toward the children and smiled.
"All right, Tommy - time to go." She reached for her son's hand. "Say goodbye."
"Bye," he said to the little girl, his face a bit sad.
"Sweetheart, I think you should go back to your Mommy and Daddy now," the woman told Mandy. "You don't want to get lost." She smiled. "Have a merry Christmas."
"Bye," Tommy said again, waving as his mother led him to the exit.
Mandy felt dejected as she watched them leave. She thought about what Tommy's mom had just said to her and thought about how very much she *wanted* to do just that - go back to her Mommy and Daddy. But she didn't know where they were. Matt had taken her away from them, away from Auntie Trish. She didn't know where she was now. She turned around and around in a small circle as she looked at the surroundings.
"Little girl!"
She turned around once more to see a young woman behind the cash register coming out and over to her. It was a pretty lady with brown hair and dark eyes. She walked right over to her and knelt before her.
"Are you lost?" the woman asked.
Mandy looked into the girl's face, and she was about to go speechless with that typical shyness she always felt with grownups who were strangers. But instead, she nodded.
"What's your name?"
"Mandy," she said softly. She shuffled her feet a little.
"Mandy... That's a pretty name." Then, "Where is your Mommy, Mandy?"
The child shrugged.
"Didn't she bring you in here?"
Amanda shook her head.
"No." She looked down at the floor, suddenly remembering that she didn't feel too good.
"Then your Daddy must have come here with you," the woman said. She smiled warmly. "My name is Denise. Don't worry, we'll find your Daddy."
Mandy merely eyed her, and although she wanted to tell Denise that her Daddy hadn't brought her here, either, she kept silent.
"Come with me," the girl said, straightening up and reaching her hand down for the child to take it.
Mandy knew she was not supposed to go anywhere with strangers, but this lady was nice. And besides, she worked here, at Toys 'R Us. She made up her mind and put her tiny hand into the woman's.
Denise began to lead the child up and down the various aisles of the big store. The way she figured it, Mandy's parent had to be nearby. If they didn't see him, she would then call her supervisor and explain the situation. She only hoped this was not a case of child abandonment. That sickened her.
Mandy was quiet until they reached one particular aisle with specific toys. As they were making their way into it, the little girl suddenly grew animated and released her hand to run up to some action figures.
Denise heard her exclaim something with excitement, but she wasn't sure she heard her right. She caught up to the girl and smiled.
"Whatcha got there, Mandy?"
Mandy looked up, her eyes large. She held up the package she clutched in her small hands.
"This is my Daddy!"
Denise frowned as she looked upon an action figure of WWE wrestler Edge.
*
"Hello?"
"Hello," an unfamiliar female voice spoke on the other end. "Is this Adam Copeland?"
"Yes," the blond man said with confusion. He hoped this was not some crazed fan who had just called. He wondered how she'd gotten his number.
"This is going to sound crazy, and I apologize in advance - but there's a little girl here who says that you're her father..."
The blond man's entire body stiffened. Could it be?
"Oh, my God," he said. "Where is she?"
"Right here, actually," the woman answered.
"Would you put her on the phone? Please," he said.
"Sure."
Adam heard muffled sounds of the woman speaking to someone and then, the tiny, timid, uncertain voice.
"Daddy?"
His heart nearly stopped.
"Mandy?! Is that you, sweetheart?"
"Daddy!" He could hear the little girl bursting into tears.
"Oh, God! Mandy... Baby..." He had so many questions he wanted to ask her, so many things he wanted to say - but then, he realized he'd better get the woman who'd called him back on the line. "Mandy... Who is the lady who called me?"
"Denise," she replied. "In Toys 'R Us."
"Put Denise back on, honey. I have to talk to her. It's very important."
"Okay." He waited for a beat until the woman's voice returned to him.
"Is she really your daughter?" she questioned.
"Yes - that's my little blondie. where is she? I'll come and get her... I don't care if your store is on
Mars - I'll *still* come get her."