Freaks

9 • missing

❝why do you think you are missing something you never had?❞
ａｍｙ ｔａｎ

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    ＤＡＤ's got my nose. And he won't give it back.

He won't even let me see it. He just waves his closed palm in front of my face with a crinkled-eyed dazzling smile; booming with laughter the deeper I pouted.

I raise my hand to my face to feel where my nose should've been. It didn't feel like it was missing...

"It won't feel like it's gone, but it is," he tells me. "It's really right here. In my hand."

He twirls his hand in front of me but never once opens it. I frown. I stretch my little arms out to take it back. He pulls his hand back. My frown deepens.

A second later, Mom comes in, distracting us from our game. She is wearing a white lab coat that matches Dad's, except Dad took his off a couple minutes ago and was just wearing a light blue button up with the sleeves rolled up. He didn't look as cool as Mom without it. I wanted a white coat too.

Mom waves a series of white sheets of paper as she walked into the room.

"I came as soon as I heard," she says as she reached over to pick me up and place me casually at her hip. My missing nose is momentarily forgotten while I grin at her. "Babysitter cancelled?"

Dad gets up as well to plant a kiss on Mom's cheek, taking the papers away from her. "Family issues, apparently," he elaborates.

"And the neighbour?"

"Tilscher is too old to look after anyone but herself right now," Dad reminds her. I sigh in relief. Good. Mrs Tilscher was mean.

"What about Vicky?"

Dad snorts at this. "Your sister?"

I turn to him curiously. I liked Aunt Vicky.

"Come on now, Theo," Mommy says, "Vicky is more mature now."

"Turning 24 does not automatically make her mature, Arlie. You can't deny she can still be reckless at times. Besides, darling, she isn't even in town this week. Didn't she go back to Parrish the other day?"

Mom frowns at this. "I almost forgot about that..." She brushes away a tendril of her light auburn hair with a huff, then carefully places me back on my two feet. "Well, we can't keep leaving Emmy in our office every time a babysitter bails. We'll have to take her to the labs with us."

I tilt my head to the side. I had never been allowed in the labs before.

Dad stiffens immediately. He isn't smiling anymore. "Arlie, you know the labs are far too dangerous for –"

"I know that. I don't mean the real labs. They recently installed a crèche in the building. Remember?"

"Morgana's idea, I'm guessing?" Dad replies warily.

"Don't be such a worry-wart, Theo" Mom says with an amused lilt in her voice. "It'll be good for Emmy to be surrounded by other kids her age."