Page 48 of The Last Thing
“Why don’t you go wash up, then we can come up with a good snack, okay?”
Sophia hangs her backpack on the hook near the door, then nods.
“Okay. Could we listen to music too?”
“Of course.”
She hurries off to the bathroom, and I head for the fridge. My mind wanders to my own kitchen and the two containers of ice cream sitting in my freezer.
Deck left me a note yesterday morning, telling me to check the freezer. I texted him right away and thanked him. He didn’t have to do that. He went to McDonald’s to get me a shake and fries. He didn’t have to go to the grocery store too.
He’s making it a point of caring for me in every way he can. I wasn’t expecting him to be so happy to do it. And it makes it even harder not to let my guard down and let him all the way in.
He cares incredibly deeply, but where does that get me in the long run?
Heartbroken, one way or another, probably.
I rest my hand on my stomach.He’s going to be in my life no matter what.
“Miss Hallie?”
I close the refrigerator door and spin around at the sound of Sophia’s panicked voice.
My eyes flare as I take her in. Where her wrist was red, her hand, wrist and lower arm are now red, puffy, and splotchy. Same with her other side. And around her mouth and her lips are swollen too.
I squat down in front of her, stomach churning. “Hey, sweetheart. Can you take a deep breath for me?”
She nods and does it.
“Did that feel okay?”
“Yes.”
“Not hard to breathe at all?”
“No.”
“Okay. Open your mouth really wide.” She does it. “Now stick your tongue out, but don’t touch your lips.” I relax a little at seeing her tongue looks normal. Not swollen or splotchy.
Deck said she doesn’t have any food allergies, but she has sensitive skin. Since it’s mostly her hands, she probably got into something that irritated her skin, then touched her mouth—because kids can’t keep their hands away from their mouths.
“Did you try any different soaps today? Did the ones in the bathroom at school smell different?”
Her eyes get a little wide, but then she looks to the side, avoiding eye contact.
I tug on her shirt. “Hey, you’re not in trouble, but I need to know what happened. Just tell me, okay?”
She turns back to me with tear-filled eyes. “My friend Maria… while we were waiting to be picked up, she shared her lotion with me. And I know I shouldn’t have taken it, but it smelled so good, and I want to be her friend and?—”
I wrap my arms around her. “It’s okay.” She’s nearly blubbering, and I need her to calm down. We don’t want anymore swelling. “Keep taking deep breaths for me. Everything’s going to be okay, but we’re going to go to the hospital.”
She steps back, eyes huge. “The hospital?”
“Your lips are swollen, and we need to be safe.”
“So we have to tell Daddy?”
I cup her cheek and give her a reassuring smile. “Yes. But he’s only going to care that you’re okay. I’m going to grab my purse and a couple of things. Can you get your shoes on?”
