Moments In Between ( Book 2)

Chapter 17: we're leaving...

"... fifty-nine... Sixty." I jump to my feet. "One minute, Sixty pushups."

Jason gets up and crosses his arms. "Hey, no fair, you cheated."

"You're just too slow." I pull him into my side and give him a light noogie. He starts squirming and twisting to get away.

"I'm gonna get you back."

"In your dreams." I laugh.

Jayda's screaming erupts from the house. I let go of Jason, and we run inside. She stops screaming, but I know exactly where it came from.

The kitchen, where she is not supposed to be. I find her on her knees right next to the stove. She put a hand over her mouth, trying to muffle her crying.

I eye her. "Who told you you could go to the oven?" She came inside to use the bathroom. I should have known she would end up here.

"I just wanted to do something nice to cheer everyone up."

I sigh and turn off the oven. "Then why didn't you ask for help... Are you trying to get hurt or burn down the house!"

"No." Her voice cracks.

"Don't start, you know you're not supposed to be playing with fire. Can't you stop being stupid for once, Jayda? What were you doing?"

"Trying to kill us all with her poison cookies", Jason jeered, waving a bowl of cookie dough at us. I shoot him a look, and he just grins in return. "Shut it."

"Mark likes my cookies... If he smells them, he'll wake up like always." She sniffles.

Shit. Here I am being a mean asshole while she wants to help. I look at her. She has her head down, trying to nurse her arm in secret. I hope my daughter stays out of the kitchen in her early years. Jayda gives me enough grey hairs as it is.

I kneel to level with her. "Let me see."

She looks up at me with her glassy eyes. Then puts her hand in mine. Her palm and wrist are red. She put her hand in the oven without covering it.

"See why you're not supposed to be in here alone."

I pick her up and take her to the sink to run some water over her hand. "Jase, get the first aid kit." He nods and runs off.

Jayda sniffles. "I'm sorry. I miss Mark; he promised that he wouldn't leave, and now he won't wake up."

I wipe away Jadya's tears. They haven't been able to see Mark because of his condition. We have not even told them about his failing heart. It is too much for them to process, and we don't want to scare them. "Mark's gonna wake up, potato, he won't leave us... And he's gonna kick my butt for this."

After fixing Jadya's hand, I made us some snacks, and we all settled in the living room to watch cartoons. It was two against one, and I can never win when they gang up on me. Everyone has been on edge since Mark was attacked. His odds of living through this are getting slimmer. Losing hope is not an option for us, but with his heart failing... No, he's gonna pull through this. Please pull through this, Mark.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rings. I head to the door, half expecting it to be Angelica.

"Hello."

I smile, it's not Angelica. "Hi, can I help you?"

She narrows her eyes at me and places her hands on her hips. "Where is Mark. If he is hiding in there, tell him to come out, or I will come in and get him myself." She huffs.

Wow, she just took one look at me and knew I was not Mark. A lot of people have a hard time figuring out which is which. He does look like me after all. I wonder why Mark has neglected to tell me about this pretty little fireball in his life. "And you are?"