Survive | third book in Found Trilogy

E I G H T E E N

Park

I mumbled to myself as I cleaned the kids room, picking up their toys and placing them back in their respected toy box. I tossed some of their discarded clothes into the hamper next to the door, I picked up the pieces of Nolan's farm set, I arranged Emma's doll house to how she's likes it, and when I was done cleaning the room I swore got hit by a tornado, I sat down Indian-style on the carpet in the middle of the room and started crying.

I don't know why I'm crying. Over the last few days, I've received only one text from Ed saying that they're coming back home, and we won't be able to call me, I've had two terrible headaches that make me so ill I have to lay in bed with the curtains drawn, I've yelled at almost everyone in the house for doing the slightest thing to make me upset, and I've only kissed Harry a handful of times.

I was going mad, and I hadn't the slightest clue as to why. It was driving me absolutely insane—feeling how I was. Every time I cried like this, I always made sure to do it where no one would think to come look for me, but this time I had such the overwhelming urge to just cry that I didn't bother going off into the woods to do it.

After a few moments the tears stopped falling down my face and I wiped my cheeks with my sleeves, sniffing quite loudly. I put my face in my hands, letting out a shaky breath as they feeling of crying slowly left my body.

"Mummy?"

My entire body tensed up as the tiny voice carried through the room. My hands fell onto my lap as my head snapped to the door. It was slightly ajar, two tiny figures standing in the opening.

I straightened myself out and felt the air leaving my lungs in an instant. "Emma, Nolan." I said softly. I didn't know what to do.

Both of them walked over to me, stopping only when they were directly in front of me. I was frozen in my spot, but I didn't understand why I couldn't move. I wanted to move desperately, why wasn't I moving?

"Mummy," Emma repeated in a quiet voice, she reached out and grabbed one of my hands that were on my lap still, "why're you sad?"

"Oh sweetheart, I'm fine. Don't worry about mummy, okay?" I gently ran my thumb across her tiny hand, looking up at her with my best smile.

"Mum," Nolan said quietly, taking my other hand in his equally small one. I turned my attention to him, and almost instantly I felt the urge to cry again. My exceedingly smart kids looked at each other before releasing my hands and wrapping their arms around my neck.

I sighed heavily and placed my arms around both of them, holding them to me closely. How they could know that this is what I craved most, I did not know. They were very smart for one year olds, who actually because of their genes, were about two and a half.

I closed my eyes and leaned my chin onto both their shoulders, bringing them closer to me. I could feel the love radiating off of both of them as they tightened their hold around my neck slightly.

"Love?"

I opened my eyes and looked towards the door the moment he spoke. He had one hand on the open door and one on the doorframe, looking into the room at his wife, who was sitting on the floor in the arms of his kids. He sounded so worried. His eyebrows were drawn inward in confusion as his eyes settled on my face.

"Harry," I breathed out, seeing the distraught expression that seemed to physically pain him as he stared at me. Emma and Nolan released my neck from their hold and looked towards their father. Nolan ran to him, Harry immediately bending slightly and taking him into his arms.

"Love," Harry restated as he shifted our son in his arms, setting him high on his side, "are you alright?"

I nodded my head and hesitated slightly to get to my feet. I stood at my full height, glancing into his worried eyes as he frantically searched my face. I looked away from him when I felt Emma grasp my hand. Glancing down at her, I saw the frown that made my heart hurt.