hadn’t been a joke?
So Anna stood and went about unpacking the groceries around him.
He’d stopped saying “no” and was just making squealing noises.
Her ears hurt. She put away everything that went in the refrigerator and freezer and then started on the pantry items.
The screaming slowed down to hiccups.
She started the dishes from that morning and heard the hiccups ebb.
Anna turned around and looked at him.
He was sitting on the floor, face covered in tears and eyes incredibly bright. His little bottom lip was still out, and he was staring up at her with the most pitiful look.
Anna quirked an eyebrow at him. “All better?”
Toby sniffled miserably.
She would have smiled, but the panic that had risen up was still too close to the surface.
Toby pushed himself up off the floor and held his arms up.
She dried her hands on a tea towel and smiled nervously at him. “Are you a happy boy again?” She vaguely remembered hearing Jake say something of the sort to Ella when she’d gotten over one of hers.
And there, through his tears, he grinned at her—a real grin, the way only a toddler covered in tears could.
Relieved laughter bubbled out of her. Anna bent and scooped him up, placing kisses on the softness of his neck. “How about we go for a sleep?”
She walked him up the stairs.
That had been terrifying.
Give her a child under anaesthetic any day.
Feeling lazy, Anna drove to the park at two, even though it was just down the road. She told herself that it was threatening rain, and that was why, but really, she just felt exhausted. Toby had slept for over an hour, and Anna had meant to use the spare time to catch up on emails and maybe make some calls to the electric company and start switching bills over from Jake and Sally’s name.
But she’d found she didn’t have it in her. Instead, she’d tidied up, restlessly moving around the house, throwing things in the washing machine—kids went through clothes like nothing she’d ever seen before. An inability to sit still had overtaken her. She had even picked up her phone to call Hayley before she remembered that it wasn’t her place to do so anymore.
Back in a life that now felt years ago, Anna loved her own company. Yet, now, with all the changes in her life, she couldn’t seem to relax anymore.
When she pulled up at the park, her mother was seated on a blanket reading a book while Ella played on the slide, wind whipping their hair around their heads. The park was otherwise empty.
Wrangling Toby out of his car seat, Anna held his back against her front as she pointed in the direction of Sandra and whispered, “Go get Grandma!”
Already wriggling, she put him down and watched him run on unsteady legs, calling, “Danma! Danma!” at the top of his lungs.
Sandra looked up and held her arms out as he collided heavily with her, giggling loudly.
More sedate than the toddler, Anna walked up and sat cross-legged next to them.
“Aunty Na!” She looked up and waved to Ella at the monkey bars. “Watch! I can make it all the way across now!”
“Well done, Ella Bella.”
About to ask Sandra how their day had been, Anna heard a squeal and looked up just in time to see Ella plummet to the ground, arms out to brace herself.
Anna and her mother were up in a second, Anna bolting towards Ella while Sandra paused to scoop up Toby. Before Anna’s attention focused completely on Ella, she saw her mother’s face twisted in worry.
Ella was lying on the ground clutching her wrist to her chest, face pale.
Anna squatted down next to her, heart pounding in her ears. “Ella? Ella, sweetie, are you okay?”
There was no answer.
As gently as she could, Anna scooped her up into a sitting position. Her hands ran over Ella’s head, smoothing her hair, feeling no contusions; her fingers came away dry.
Eyes wide, face even paler, Ella sat still, breathing in shallow gasps.
“Ella, can you speak to me?”
Her niece blinked, slightly glazed eyes
So Anna stood and went about unpacking the groceries around him.
He’d stopped saying “no” and was just making squealing noises.
Her ears hurt. She put away everything that went in the refrigerator and freezer and then started on the pantry items.
The screaming slowed down to hiccups.
She started the dishes from that morning and heard the hiccups ebb.
Anna turned around and looked at him.
He was sitting on the floor, face covered in tears and eyes incredibly bright. His little bottom lip was still out, and he was staring up at her with the most pitiful look.
Anna quirked an eyebrow at him. “All better?”
Toby sniffled miserably.
She would have smiled, but the panic that had risen up was still too close to the surface.
Toby pushed himself up off the floor and held his arms up.
She dried her hands on a tea towel and smiled nervously at him. “Are you a happy boy again?” She vaguely remembered hearing Jake say something of the sort to Ella when she’d gotten over one of hers.
And there, through his tears, he grinned at her—a real grin, the way only a toddler covered in tears could.
Relieved laughter bubbled out of her. Anna bent and scooped him up, placing kisses on the softness of his neck. “How about we go for a sleep?”
She walked him up the stairs.
That had been terrifying.
Give her a child under anaesthetic any day.
Feeling lazy, Anna drove to the park at two, even though it was just down the road. She told herself that it was threatening rain, and that was why, but really, she just felt exhausted. Toby had slept for over an hour, and Anna had meant to use the spare time to catch up on emails and maybe make some calls to the electric company and start switching bills over from Jake and Sally’s name.
But she’d found she didn’t have it in her. Instead, she’d tidied up, restlessly moving around the house, throwing things in the washing machine—kids went through clothes like nothing she’d ever seen before. An inability to sit still had overtaken her. She had even picked up her phone to call Hayley before she remembered that it wasn’t her place to do so anymore.
Back in a life that now felt years ago, Anna loved her own company. Yet, now, with all the changes in her life, she couldn’t seem to relax anymore.
When she pulled up at the park, her mother was seated on a blanket reading a book while Ella played on the slide, wind whipping their hair around their heads. The park was otherwise empty.
Wrangling Toby out of his car seat, Anna held his back against her front as she pointed in the direction of Sandra and whispered, “Go get Grandma!”
Already wriggling, she put him down and watched him run on unsteady legs, calling, “Danma! Danma!” at the top of his lungs.
Sandra looked up and held her arms out as he collided heavily with her, giggling loudly.
More sedate than the toddler, Anna walked up and sat cross-legged next to them.
“Aunty Na!” She looked up and waved to Ella at the monkey bars. “Watch! I can make it all the way across now!”
“Well done, Ella Bella.”
About to ask Sandra how their day had been, Anna heard a squeal and looked up just in time to see Ella plummet to the ground, arms out to brace herself.
Anna and her mother were up in a second, Anna bolting towards Ella while Sandra paused to scoop up Toby. Before Anna’s attention focused completely on Ella, she saw her mother’s face twisted in worry.
Ella was lying on the ground clutching her wrist to her chest, face pale.
Anna squatted down next to her, heart pounding in her ears. “Ella? Ella, sweetie, are you okay?”
There was no answer.
As gently as she could, Anna scooped her up into a sitting position. Her hands ran over Ella’s head, smoothing her hair, feeling no contusions; her fingers came away dry.
Eyes wide, face even paler, Ella sat still, breathing in shallow gasps.
“Ella, can you speak to me?”
Her niece blinked, slightly glazed eyes
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