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Feb. 9th, 2016 02:36 pmFeb 8th
Lang folded the last baby blanket, one that happened to be her favorite, with zoo animals in pastel colors, and set it on the pile on the bed. Nearby, Anneke unfolded a small onesie and held it up against her chest.
“I like this one, yeah,” she said, “Mommy, can I wear it?”
“You’re too big to wear it, silly duck,” Lang answered.
“Goose, Mommy, I’m a goose!”
“Okay.” Lang was about to pick up the next item in the pile of unfolded laundry when she stopped. She could feel her heart racing. It was the same episode she’d had in her mother’s driveway. She was starting to feel lightheaded. “Anneke, I need you to go get Daddy,” she said, focusing inward.
“Why?”
“Please just go get Daddy,” Lang repeated as the room started to gray out.
“Why?”
“Because I…” she trailed off as she lost consciousness and slumped to the floor.
“Mommy?” Anneke asked. When she didn’t get a response, she tried again, more upset, “Mommy?” Again, no response. Anneke burst into uncontrollable, terrified tears.
Seb suddenly appeared in the doorway after coming up from the basement. “Oh shit,” he said, catching sight of Lang on the floor. He dropped to her side and gathered her into his arms. Then he realized Anneke was standing frozen in place, still crying.
He checked to make sure his wife was still breathing, still had a pulse. She did. His own pulse pounded in his throat. Cosmic payback for all the times he’s done this to her. Her head rolled to one side, her arm draped on the floor like a wet noodle.
“Come on, babe, wake up,” he said as he cradled her head in the crook of his arm.
“Why won’t Mommy wake up?” Anneke asked.
Seb looked up at the girl and said, “I don’t know.”
Anneke started crying harder. Seb couldn’t blame her; he wanted to cry too.
“Sweetie, you wanna help Mommy?” he asked the girl.
She nodded.
“Do you know where my phone is?”
She nodded again.
“Go get it and bring it here, quick like a bunny.”
She hesitated a moment before running off. As soon as the little girl left the room, Lang started to stir. Seb glanced down at her and met her brown eyes. He brushed his fingers over her cheek as she glanced around. She seemed a little dazed but quickly became more alert.
“Babe?” Seb ventured softly.
“I passed out.”
He wasn’t sure if it was a question or a statement, “Yeah, you did. What happened?”
“My heart just started racing and doing flipflops,” she answered.
Anneke came running back into the room and stopped abruptly when she saw her mother was awake again. She slid to her knees beside her father and leaned in close. “Hi, Mommy,” she said in a harsh whisper.
“Hi, baby,” Lang answered.
Anneke handed the phone over to Seb as she leaned down at put her ear against Lang’s belly. As Seb dialed 911, he watched Lang run a hand along her belly before reaching over and finding his free hand. She covers his hand with hers, lacing their fingers together, and held on tightly.
Lang folded the last baby blanket, one that happened to be her favorite, with zoo animals in pastel colors, and set it on the pile on the bed. Nearby, Anneke unfolded a small onesie and held it up against her chest.
“I like this one, yeah,” she said, “Mommy, can I wear it?”
“You’re too big to wear it, silly duck,” Lang answered.
“Goose, Mommy, I’m a goose!”
“Okay.” Lang was about to pick up the next item in the pile of unfolded laundry when she stopped. She could feel her heart racing. It was the same episode she’d had in her mother’s driveway. She was starting to feel lightheaded. “Anneke, I need you to go get Daddy,” she said, focusing inward.
“Why?”
“Please just go get Daddy,” Lang repeated as the room started to gray out.
“Why?”
“Because I…” she trailed off as she lost consciousness and slumped to the floor.
“Mommy?” Anneke asked. When she didn’t get a response, she tried again, more upset, “Mommy?” Again, no response. Anneke burst into uncontrollable, terrified tears.
Seb suddenly appeared in the doorway after coming up from the basement. “Oh shit,” he said, catching sight of Lang on the floor. He dropped to her side and gathered her into his arms. Then he realized Anneke was standing frozen in place, still crying.
He checked to make sure his wife was still breathing, still had a pulse. She did. His own pulse pounded in his throat. Cosmic payback for all the times he’s done this to her. Her head rolled to one side, her arm draped on the floor like a wet noodle.
“Come on, babe, wake up,” he said as he cradled her head in the crook of his arm.
“Why won’t Mommy wake up?” Anneke asked.
Seb looked up at the girl and said, “I don’t know.”
Anneke started crying harder. Seb couldn’t blame her; he wanted to cry too.
“Sweetie, you wanna help Mommy?” he asked the girl.
She nodded.
“Do you know where my phone is?”
She nodded again.
“Go get it and bring it here, quick like a bunny.”
She hesitated a moment before running off. As soon as the little girl left the room, Lang started to stir. Seb glanced down at her and met her brown eyes. He brushed his fingers over her cheek as she glanced around. She seemed a little dazed but quickly became more alert.
“Babe?” Seb ventured softly.
“I passed out.”
He wasn’t sure if it was a question or a statement, “Yeah, you did. What happened?”
“My heart just started racing and doing flipflops,” she answered.
Anneke came running back into the room and stopped abruptly when she saw her mother was awake again. She slid to her knees beside her father and leaned in close. “Hi, Mommy,” she said in a harsh whisper.
“Hi, baby,” Lang answered.
Anneke handed the phone over to Seb as she leaned down at put her ear against Lang’s belly. As Seb dialed 911, he watched Lang run a hand along her belly before reaching over and finding his free hand. She covers his hand with hers, lacing their fingers together, and held on tightly.
