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Anna woke to her father's warm gaze.
"Dad!" she yelled, as she sat up to embrace him.
"My little snow queen," he said in reply. "I'm so happy to find you alive, and healthy!"
"But how did you find me?" she asked as she got out of bed and sat in a chair next to him. "Mom said . . ."
"I know. Your mother kept a lot of secrets from me. But somehow, when a father is looking for his daughter, nothing can be hidden. I scoured through her desks, her books, her computer, and eventually I pieced many things together. Admittedly, I was driving around here for quite a while, looking for a sign. Then I remembered how we used to come to this lake when you were a child, and I knew it couldn't be just a coincidence."
Anna sighed, and for the first time in many months, relaxed. She finally had a connection; someone to help her, someone to advise her and stand by her side.
"Now," said Darien sternly, "what was going on in that bed when I came in, young lady?"
Anna's stomach cringed, as she quickly remembered what it was like to be in trouble with your father again.