Daughters

Thousands of young American girls have been abducted or lured from their normal lives and made into sex slaves. While many Americans have heard of human trafficking in other parts of the world -- Thailand, Cambodia, Latin America and eastern Europe, for example -- few people know it happens in the United States. The FBI estimates that well over 100,000 children and young women are trafficked in America today. They range in age from 9 to 19, with the average age being 11. UNICEF estimates that 2 million children per year are exploited in prostitution or pornography.As many as 300,000 American youth may be at risk of commercial sexual exploitation at any time. Especially vulnerable are the homeless and runaways...one third of runaway youths-girls and boys both-will be lured into prostitution within 48 hours on the streets.Emotion in the house where Emma grew up was rare, so, when Emma disappeared it took a couple days before her aunt actually realized Emma was missing. Then a month went by, quickly. A little late to call the police. Aunt Evelyn knew of only one person who, maybe, would care Emma was missing, who, maybe, would do something about getting Emma back, and, who-as she recalled-would do anything for Emma:Bailey Forbes. If Emma's mother-Aunt Evelyn's sister-hadn't died, Bailey would have married her and adopted Emma. Yes, that was the plan. Little sister was so in love with that man...but little sister did die, and that changed everything. Auntie Evelyn allowed Bailey and Emma to have continued contact for awhile, but it couldn't go on. No blood was involved, and Auntie Evelyn had never bought into the idea that blood wasn't necessary for true bonding.But eleven years had passed. Would Bailey even remember Emma? Or care?