The Scare of My Life!!!

Today is Thursday the 23rd and my daughter about gave me a heart attack. Cordin and Gabbie were a little late coming home today from school so I was starting to get a little worried. When I heard the door, I was relieved that they were here until the first thing out of Cordin's mouth was "MOM! Gabbie got into someones car and drove off with them." My heart stopped. "What do you mean she got into someones car?!"She said they were going to the community center." I was irate! "Why didn't you stop her?" was my next question. He said that he tried and she wouldn't listen to him. So, I jumped into my car and ran down to the center, but no Gabbie. Now I am worried. I didn't know who's car she had gotten into. Cordin didn't know either. Tons of awful images were going through my head. What if she was stupid enough to get into a strangers car. I've told her time and time again NOT to get into any ones car that I don't know. (Just goes to show how much she listens to me). Now what do I do? By this time I am in tears and tiring to call all of her friends that I can think of. She is no where, then I call Joe who is the voice of reason. "She's probably with a friend." But how can I assume that, right? How do I know that she's with a friend? I have of course by this time jumped to every awful conclusion. Someone has taken her. They have her and I'm not going to get her back. By this time an hour has gone by of me crying and imagining all the horrid things that could have happened to her. Just as I am about to call the police a car pulls into the driveway and out comes Gabbie. I was flooded with emotion. Relief that she is okay, anger that she would do something so stupid (especially since I told her to come home directly from school), but mostly relief. I never want to go through something like that again. And how could another parent be so irresponsible. I would never take another persons child home without their consent. It blew my mind that she/he would do something like that. Needless to say, Gabbie is grounded, and I will have to pick her up from school now until I can trust her again. Hopefully she has learned her lesson and will not make that type of decision again. I think that when she walked into the house and saw that I was in tears she realized just what she had done. I can only hope.