Mommy? (2)

Chapter 5

Emilie's P.O.V.

I took Leonora's favorite stuffie, her blanket and her pacifier and walked back to the living room, where I saw her unconscious on the couch. Terrified, I let everything drop and rushed to her, afraid that it was something more than her being passed out. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know what had happened. Had she hurt herself when she fell on the couch? Was it shock? I shook her gently, trying hard to contain my fear and desperation, trying hard not to hurt her. Trying to remember if I had read anything anywhere about what to do when someone was unconscious, I realized that I unluckily didn't know anything about what to do. Would throwing cold water on her work? Could it bring her any type of shock? I started crying from frustration and anger at myself because I didn't know what to do.

I was ready to call an ambulance when she woke up. I was so relieved that I threw myself on her and hugged her really tight, almost hugging her back into unconsciousness. She just remained limp in my arms and after a while I let her go. I looked at her and noticed the silent tears that were running down her face. She looked back at me with unmeasurable pain in her eyes, with eyes that still showed, however, her love for me. I sat down next to her and brought her onto my lap, holding her against me and rocking her, trying to take all of her pain and give her all of my love. Trying to make her smile again, trying to make her happy again. We stayed like that for a long time, silently holding each other and crying in each other's arms; me because I was seeing Leonora unhappy and in great pain, and Leonora for an unknown reason. However, I knew that I wouldn't press her for the reason for her tears, no matter how much I wanted to know. She would tell me when she felt like it, she would tell me when she felt ready to share whatever had caused this distress. I didn't want to cause her even more pain by forcing her to tell me something. I would wait for her to be ready.

After a while of sitting like this, holding each other as if our lives depended on it, Leonora stood up and sat on the armchair, curling up on herself. She remained that way for a long time, simply staring at me, staring with so many feelings, some of which I couldn't even recognize. Was she trying to tell me something with her eyes?

"Please call Shania and tell her that she's back."

She sounded broken.