Mia

"Mommy, there's a lady on the phone for you," Adeline called out, running into the kitchen on her little toddler legs. She was five-years-old but still small for her age.

"Addy," Emma chastised her daughter as she washed her hands in the sink, removing the cookie dough that was dirtying her hands. "What has mommy said about answering the phone?"

Adeline was still in the stage where she was curious about anything and everything. It was a race whenever the phone rang for Emma to get it before her, and no matter how many times she told her not to, she still did it.

"Sorry, mommy, but you were making the cookies, and the lady said it was super important."

"How about next time, you bring me the phone and we can answer it together, okay?" Adeline nodded her head furiously, reaching out to give her mom the house phone.

Emma grabbed the phone from her daughter's outstretched hand, putting it to her ear, "Hello?"

"Hi mommy," the melodious voice said on the other end, and Emma froze.

The phone slipped out of her limp fingers, and Emma flinched when it shattered on the ground, the sound echoing loudly in her ears.

It couldn't be.

"Mommy," Adeline said impatiently, tugging her apron to get her attention, "Why did you drop the phone? Are your hands slippery?"

"Addy, I need to run and get your daddy, okay? He's in the office." Emma could tell that her voice was choked and shaky, but luckily Adeline was too young to notice that anything was wrong.

"But mommy, I'm not supposed to bother daddy. He said if I let him finish his work we could play a game."

"Mommy is saying it's okay. Tell him it's important," she didn't trust herself to make it up the stairs without incident.

Adeline just shrugged her shoulders before running out of the kitchen; Emma could hear her little feet as she ran up the stairs.

Her knees were shaking, and she sank down to the floor, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. She lay her cheek against the cool tile, trying to quell the nausea that was building.

"Emma, what the hell?" Dane cried, skidding into the kitchen and kneeling beside her prone form.

"Daddy, that's a naughty word," Adeline said, a frown on her face.

"I know, sweetie, I'm sorry I shouldn't have said it. Why don't you go to the living room and draw mommy a picture? I'm sure it will make her feel better."

"Is mommy sick?" Adeline came over, putting her chubby hand on Emma's forehead. "Yeah, she feels sweaty like when you say I have a fever. I'll make you the prettiest picture ever mommy."

As soon as Adeline left, Dane pulled Emma into his arms, smoothing her hair back from her sweaty forehead. "What happened, Em?"

She pressed her face into the crook of his neck, seeking comfort in his embrace.

"It was Mia."

***

The thunder boomed outside. drowning out the noise from the movie. Emma sighed from where she was leaning against her husband, grabbing the remote and turning off the TV.

"We can watch it tomorrow night when it's not raining; let's go do something fun," Emma suggested with a smirk in Dane's direction.

He raised his eyebrows at her, "I like the way you think," he said, and she giggled, bolting up from the couch and dragging him with her. He smacked her butt as he followed her up the stairs and she let out another laugh.