Love Sick

Espera

Trigger warning for gun violence

Teresa

My phone buzzed, waking me immediately from my sleep. Gideon stretched and stirred for a minute, but returned to his deep slumber. Eva had sent a picture of her and the girls contently snuggled on the couch, alerting me that they had gotten discharged and to come visit them.

I needed a breather from all of this craziness, so I figured a morning with the babies would clear the air. I waited a minute then gasped as Evan raced into the room, perspiring down his neck and face.

"I don't mean to panic you, but Abigail is not in her room." He gasped, making me grumble and jump out of bed, thinking the list of reprimands that she was going to get, along with punishments that would go with them.

"Hang on, I think I have her location, she gave it to me before I knew she was my daughter." I muttered, cringing slightly before looking it up on my smartphone.

Before I could check to see which grocery store she was at, my phone lit up and began ringing off. Eva's face brightened my screen, making my stomach flip slightly.

"Teresa!" She cried, her voice trembling with fear. "There is a shooting going on- at the SmartMart. It's right down the street from you!" She cried, making me jump up and check her location one more time, my fingers fumbling.

"I checked your location but I couldn't find Abigail's." She cried, my heart dropping once my phone started to beep.

"Abigail is calling me!" Eva cried, immediately hanging up on me, my heart hammering inside my chest, making me want to hurl into a bucket.

"Evan! We have to go! Call someone to watch Gideon- NOW!" I screamed, scooping my son up from the bed and into my arms. "Teresa what's going on?!" He demanded, but I just anxiously texted Chris' sister, the one I hadn't met yet, but I knew they trusted her with their daughter so I needed to trust her with mine.

My heart felt close to punching a hole through my chest, and saying the words out loud could possibly push me towards a mental episode. "There is a shooting- at the grocery store. I think Abigail is over there!" I cried, dropping my son into Evan's arms, sliding my converse on mindlessly.

"Teresa what are you doing?! Wait for me!" He begged, but it felt like I was in a bubble, and nothing could reach me from the outside. I snatched my car keys from the dish and threw them into my purse before racing down the driveway, my husband calling after me.

"Teresa- wait! This could be dangerous!" He shouted, but I just gave him a wistful glance and gathered my things. "If this were Gideon you'd do the same. I need you to stay so I know he's safe." I begged, jumping into the car before speeding off towards the grocery store.

Eva

My foot was anxiously tapping as Chris sped down the road, speeding into the parking lot of the grocery store, a singular cop car parked out front, one of them barking orders into the radio while another one raced inside.

I gasped as Teresa's blue car nearly tipped on two wheels from the speed she was going. Aggressively pulling up next to us. She leapt out of the front seat and began booking it towards the front, making a scream come from my lips.

"Wait! Don't go in!" I shouted, watching my husband race after her and wrap his brawny arms around her shaking shoulders. I followed as fast as humanly possible, quickly catching up with them as Teresa fought off my husband, the three of us perched right behind the cop car.