[ It's been eating at her, and with Ben's reply, she's actually really glad that she asked. Not realizing he was gone, that's not something she'd considered. She knows how she is with her family. If one of her siblings ever went missing, there would be no doubt immediately. The people who vanish without anyone noticing, in her professional experience, they're usually those who are totally and completely disconnected from the people around them. That's not the impression she got from the Hargreeves siblings, so the idea that they wouldn't go looking...

The reality is still sad, but it's better. ]

I'm a little ashamed to admit that that wasn't how I'd been picturing the situation. Thank you. I feel better.