to steal my kids from me. Luke! Madeleine! Come here.”
The twins stayed crammed between the two big chairs, not sure what to do. Allie gestured for them to come out.
“I said come here!” Allie’s mom screamed. “I’m your mother!”
“I think this might be a good time to end the visit,” Stone said, glancing at Allie. “I can get in touch with you tomorrow to see where we go from here.”
And as if it couldn’t get any worse, that’s when their mom started crying. Not quiet, sniffly crying, but loud, hysterical, blubbery crying. She grabbed at the twins, dragging them out from between the chairs.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I don’t want to lose you. No more candy. Ever. I promise.” She was sobbing and hiccupping and gasping for air. Madeleine and Luke clung to her, looking dazed.
“We really need to wrap this up,” Stone said. “I’ll take the kids out to JoJo.” She turned to Allie. “She’s in the waiting room, right?”
Allie couldn’t speak. She opened her mouth, but her throat was too tight. How could a visit that started out so well end so badly?
“Allie, can you get Madeleine for me, please?” Stone had already pulled Luke away from their mom. He was staring around the room as if he was in shock. He was going into one of his trances.
Allie scooped up Madeleine, who was sucking her thumb, and carried her out to the waiting room.
“Oh, dear,” JoJo said, when she saw Luke and Madeleine. “Was it a bit rough in there?”
“You’re not deaf. What do you think?” Allie couldn’t help herself. What a stupid question. They could hear the sobbing, clear as anything, right through the wall.
It was a long, silent drive back to the farm. Allie fought back tears—and fought to stay awake, as the swaying motion of the car made her eyelids droop. She shouldn’t have stayed up so late reading, because she absolutely had to help Madeleine and Luke. Had to help them see that this was only a small setback. That they weren’t going to lose their mom and their home forever.
Allie tried to make things normal when they got back to the farm. “Hey, guys, want me to read you bedtime stories tonight?” she asked, using a fake cheery voice that would have impressed even that stupid Stone woman.
No answer. Madeleine had crawled into a corner and was sucking her thumb. She’d wet herself, too, like a baby. JoJo sat on the floor beside her and rubbed her back.
Thunk...thunk...thunk...
“Luke!” Arthur leapt up from the kitchen table, shaking water off his stump—he’d been soaking it in that bowl, again. He ran down the hallway, with Allie close behind. Luke had plunked down in front of the bathroom, and was smashing his forehead into the doorframe.
Arthur tried to pick Luke up one-handed, but Allie pushed him away.
“Leave him alone,” she snapped, as she grabbed her brother.
“I was just trying to help,” Arthur said, quietly.
“I don’t want your help. Go soak your stump.” Allie turned away. She didn’t want to see the hurt look on Arthur’s face. She had more important things to worry about.
Allie wrapped Luke in her arms and carried him back to the kitchen. His whole body was shaking.
“Come on, Madeleine.” Allie swallowed hard and took a deep, shaky breath. “I’m doing stories, now.”
Madeleine ran over to Allie and grabbed her shirt.
“You don’t have to do this alone,” JoJo said. She stood up and held her arms open for Madeleine.
“Don’t do that,” Allie snapped. “You’re not their mother!”
JoJo let her arms fall. “Allie, you’re not their mother, either.”
Allie turned and stomped up the stairs. She had to get away before the tears came.
“You’re not being very nice,” Luke whispered, when they were out of earshot.
I know , Allie thought. But there’s no other way.
Still, once she’d tucked Luke and Madeleine into bed, Allie stared out the window, feeling the knot in her chest pull just a little bit tighter. Finally, she
The twins stayed crammed between the two big chairs, not sure what to do. Allie gestured for them to come out.
“I said come here!” Allie’s mom screamed. “I’m your mother!”
“I think this might be a good time to end the visit,” Stone said, glancing at Allie. “I can get in touch with you tomorrow to see where we go from here.”
And as if it couldn’t get any worse, that’s when their mom started crying. Not quiet, sniffly crying, but loud, hysterical, blubbery crying. She grabbed at the twins, dragging them out from between the chairs.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I don’t want to lose you. No more candy. Ever. I promise.” She was sobbing and hiccupping and gasping for air. Madeleine and Luke clung to her, looking dazed.
“We really need to wrap this up,” Stone said. “I’ll take the kids out to JoJo.” She turned to Allie. “She’s in the waiting room, right?”
Allie couldn’t speak. She opened her mouth, but her throat was too tight. How could a visit that started out so well end so badly?
“Allie, can you get Madeleine for me, please?” Stone had already pulled Luke away from their mom. He was staring around the room as if he was in shock. He was going into one of his trances.
Allie scooped up Madeleine, who was sucking her thumb, and carried her out to the waiting room.
“Oh, dear,” JoJo said, when she saw Luke and Madeleine. “Was it a bit rough in there?”
“You’re not deaf. What do you think?” Allie couldn’t help herself. What a stupid question. They could hear the sobbing, clear as anything, right through the wall.
It was a long, silent drive back to the farm. Allie fought back tears—and fought to stay awake, as the swaying motion of the car made her eyelids droop. She shouldn’t have stayed up so late reading, because she absolutely had to help Madeleine and Luke. Had to help them see that this was only a small setback. That they weren’t going to lose their mom and their home forever.
Allie tried to make things normal when they got back to the farm. “Hey, guys, want me to read you bedtime stories tonight?” she asked, using a fake cheery voice that would have impressed even that stupid Stone woman.
No answer. Madeleine had crawled into a corner and was sucking her thumb. She’d wet herself, too, like a baby. JoJo sat on the floor beside her and rubbed her back.
Thunk...thunk...thunk...
“Luke!” Arthur leapt up from the kitchen table, shaking water off his stump—he’d been soaking it in that bowl, again. He ran down the hallway, with Allie close behind. Luke had plunked down in front of the bathroom, and was smashing his forehead into the doorframe.
Arthur tried to pick Luke up one-handed, but Allie pushed him away.
“Leave him alone,” she snapped, as she grabbed her brother.
“I was just trying to help,” Arthur said, quietly.
“I don’t want your help. Go soak your stump.” Allie turned away. She didn’t want to see the hurt look on Arthur’s face. She had more important things to worry about.
Allie wrapped Luke in her arms and carried him back to the kitchen. His whole body was shaking.
“Come on, Madeleine.” Allie swallowed hard and took a deep, shaky breath. “I’m doing stories, now.”
Madeleine ran over to Allie and grabbed her shirt.
“You don’t have to do this alone,” JoJo said. She stood up and held her arms open for Madeleine.
“Don’t do that,” Allie snapped. “You’re not their mother!”
JoJo let her arms fall. “Allie, you’re not their mother, either.”
Allie turned and stomped up the stairs. She had to get away before the tears came.
“You’re not being very nice,” Luke whispered, when they were out of earshot.
I know , Allie thought. But there’s no other way.
Still, once she’d tucked Luke and Madeleine into bed, Allie stared out the window, feeling the knot in her chest pull just a little bit tighter. Finally, she
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