Trying to dance through the rain

Chapter 18

"DADDY HURRY UP!" My memory being interrupted.

Tiffany tugged at my arm in an attempt to get me to move.

"I'll see you later?" Lacey questioned.

"Of course my dear." I responded before fondly kissing her on the temple.

"Come on daddy you're taking ages!" Tiffany whined trying to push me out the door.

"I'm coming; I'm coming you can stop pushing me now. We just have to go through the corridor to get a few bits to bring with us okay?"

"Fine" sighed Tiff.

We made our way through the corridor to the other basement which remained untouched since Emma's unwilling departure from us.

The basement in Lacey's mum and Emma's house was Emma's chill out area with a big dance/yoga studio area off to one side, fold out sofas for sleepovers, a bookcase packed with every typical teen movie imaginable, one of her many guitars, a popcorn machine, a Wii console and an Xbox along with the TV.

Everything a teenager would ever need or want in a room.

If you didn't know Emma you'd think she'd be a spoiled brat but instead she was skilled, dedicated, appreciative, helpful person who had a series of unnecessary, cruel and frankly unimaginable situations thrown at her.

To which, in response she had bottled up as to not be a burden to anybody.

It was a selfless act of love that had landed her in such a sticky situation.

I gathered up the lilac duvet and Floppy from the wicker baskets which held a various array of Emma's things before heading back through the corridor with Tiffany in tow.

Then walking out the front door closing it softly behind me and got in the car with Tiff.

I continued to think about Emma's basement in the mist of the drive to the hospital.

How Emma would come home from school and start practicing for dance at exactly 4:15 unless it was a Tuesday or Wednesday when she stayed at school for the drama or music departments.

She would stay practising until 5:30, leaving for dance only to get there 20 minutes early so she could stretch or fix any issues she was having in a dance and then wouldn't leave the studio until 10.

Overly achieving in all aspects: her academics with the exception of English, dance, drama and music, while still finding time to do homework.

All ways there to listen and help to solve everyone else's problems but her own.

I pulled in to the hospital car park, I could tell that Tiffany was about to explode with excitement but I knew I had to set her expectations for seeing Emma.

"Tiffany do you remember the rules in the hospital?"

"Yes daddy, no running, yelling or getting in anyone's way." She recited.

"Good girl," I praised before starting to set her expectations

"Tiffany, in the hospital Auntie Emma will be hooked up to lots of equipment and be asleep. So uncle Avery and Auntie Emily might not let us see her or they might only let me see her, okay?"

"Okay daddy." She obeyed although  I could see that she was a bit disheartened.

"Come on then sweetie." I grabbed hold of her hand as I guided her towards the high dependency unit and through to the ICU.

"Hey, what's my favourite goddaughter doing here?" Tiffany took off, leaping into Avery's arms.

"Uncle Avery!" She squealed.

"Is my question going to go unanswered?" Avery teased.

"We're here to see Auntie Emma so that I can give her the card I made for her! Look!" Practically shoving the card in his face.

"Wow that's a lot of glitter sweet pea."

"You think that's a lot of glitter? You should've seen her earlier." I commented wryly.

"Adam!"

"Hey Avery." We embraced, patting each other on the back.

"How are you and Lacey holding up?"

"As well as we can be for now. Lacey still feels super guilty. We still don't really know what happened. The school legally had to report it to police though but it's Emma's choice whether or not she wants to press charges." Avery drew a sharp intake of breath.

"That's a lot for a kid to handle. If she pressed charges would she have to testify in the courtroom?"

"Not necessarily. Her testimony could be from therapy sessions where set questions would be given to the therapist taking the session."

"When are you gonna face Emma with that decision?"

"As soon as you, Emily and Amelia think it's okay. We don't want to risk disrupting her recovery."

"Of course you don't, not after this." I was grateful for Avery's understanding.

Tiffany started to tug at my shirt. "Daddy can we go see Auntie now?" She whined.

"I don't know sweetie, you're gonna have to ask Uncle Avery." Tiff looked at him with her puppy dog eyes.

'You sure about this?' Avery mouthed at me. I nodded in return.

"Come on then bugaboo." Using his little pet name for Tiff.

I could see the reluctance in his body language.

Knowing that a guilty feeling was going to set in when she saw her beloved Auntie.