32. Emily
Iknow my men would want me to call Hank and wait for him to get here, but I can’t do that. There is no way I’m waiting any longer than necessary to get to Audrey. I’d run there if I thought I could get there faster. I jerk my office closet door open and yank my purse off the hook and make a beeline for Jenna.
“Hi, Mrs. Simms. I need to borrow Jenna for a quick second. Can you excuse us?” I ask.
“Of course, love,” she says.
I hardly wait for Jenna to stand before I’m dragging her back into my office.
“It’s bad,” I blurt out. “Really bad. I don’t have time to log off or lock up my files. I need to get to Audrey. A reporter showed up at her school and was harassing her.”
“Fucking bastards,” she mutters. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll secure everything for you. Get out of here.”
Now that I know my patients’ medical information is in safe hands, I sprint out of our hospital wing toward the main entrance. There’s always a cab or two lurking around there. My shoes squeak as I slide around corners, and there are several near misses with custodial staff and nurses. I yell out apologies behind me but don’t stop to see whether I’ve done any damage. I burst out the front sliding doors like a horse at the races and look madly around for a cab.
Yes!
I swear the color yellow has never looked more beautiful to me than it does right now. I rush to it, jerk open the door, and practically dive into the back seat.
“Hi, I’m in a massive hurry. Do you know where Helping Hearts Montessori Academy is or do you need an exact address?” I ask.
“You’re good,” he grunts.
“Great. If you can get me there as fast as possible, I’ll give you a fifty percent tip,” I tell him.
The tires squeal as we pull away from the curb and zip out onto the street.
Now that I have nothing to do but sit and wait until we get there, the adrenaline in my body is quickly turning into panic and stress. My hands won’t stop shaking.
Maybe their flight has landed and I won’t have to do this alone.
Please don’t let me have to do this alone.
I try Oliver first.
No answer.
He always forgets to charge his phone. They might still have landed already.
I tap on Alexei’s contact info next.
It goes straight to voicemail.
They have to have landed already. Maybe he just forgot to turn his phone back on.
Even though I know how it’s probably going to go, I still try Ian.
Nothing.
Breathe, Emily. You’re a capable, grown adult. You can handle this.
I tap out a message to Hank telling him where I’m headed and a brief rundown of the situation. He responds immediately, telling me he’ll be at the school in twenty minutes and to keep a watchful eye out.
We’re still not there yet, but I’m still vibrating like a dryer full of soccer cleats. I can’t hear my men’s voices, but I can still talk to them in our group chat. Even if they won’t see it right away, just the thought of being able to talk to them somehow soothes me.
Emily - They showed up at her school. Her fucking school, and they made her cry. They managed to get the asshole for trespassing, but they made her cry. How the hell were they able to find her?
I’m so scared.
Please come home soon.
Call me or text me as soon as your phones are on.
Please.
By the time we make it to the school, my hands are still shaking, but I’m at least more regulated than I was when I got the call.
The cabbie had done his part and gotten me there in record time, so I held up my end of the bargain and gave him a hefty tip along with my thanks.
I think we even managed to beat Hank here.
I rush to the door but force myself to stop and take some deep breaths before pressing the buzzer.
Your primary goal is to make Audrey feel safe. You can’t go rushing in there looking half-cocked no matter how you feel.
I smooth my scrubs, tighten my ponytail, and then I ring the buzzer. Even though I want to run, I make myself take measured steps at a steady pace because I need to be Audrey’s safe, quiet place. The more ruffled I am, the less safe she’ll feel.
A snotty, red-faced missile launches itself at my legs as soon as I step into the office. I have to grip the receptionist’s desk to help me stay upright. When the sobs start to subside and I feel her grip loosen, I lean down and pat her hair.
“I’m right here, Pumpkin,” I say softly. “Would you like me to hold you now that some of your cries are out?”
I feel her nod against my leg.
“All right, but you need to let go of Mama’s leg or I’ll fall over if I try to pick you up, and you’ll get squished like a squash.”
Audrey sniffles, then lets out a sound that’s a cross between a giggle and a sob.
“Squish-squash,” she sing-songs.
“Precisely, and I don’t think they have any Tupperware for me to scrape you off the floor into, so how about it?” I ask.
She slides backward on the floor and then holds up her hands.
“Please.” She hiccups.
I scoop her up and crush her to my chest.
“Too squeezy,” Audrey says, poking me.
“I’m sorry, Pumpkin. I was so happy to see that you’re okay. I guess I squeezed a little too tight.”
She pats my cheek. “That’s okay.”
I sit us down on a chair in the office. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the principal standing in her doorway, but right now, all of my attention needs to be on Audrey.
“What happened today at recess?” I ask.
“We was playing bumblebees in the garden and this lady came right up to the fence and was asking me questions that didn’t make no sense.” She sniffs. “I tell her I don’t have to talk to her and to give my body space and then she yelled the questions louder. It was scary. I yelled and yelled for Teacher. And then when Teacher was running over, that lady took lots of pictures with a bright flashy light. It hurt my eyes.”
“That does sound scary. I’m so glad there was a safe adult to help you,” I say gently.
“Yeah, Teacher and Officer made her go away. They should get a sticker on their chart.” She nods sagely.
“Yes, they do.” I nod. “Do you know who else deserves a sticker?”
“Mrs. Principal?” she asks.
“I’m sure she does, but I was actually thinking about you when I said that. Someone made you feel unsafe, and do you know what you did? You used your big voice to tell them to stop and then when they didn’t, you went and got a safe adult. That was very brave, and I’m so proud of you.”
“But I was so scared,” Audrey says, wide-eyed.
“Let me tell you a secret about grownups,” I stage whisper. “We’re scared a lot too, but we use our big voices and ask for help just like you did today. Doing the right thing, especially when you’re scared, is being brave.”
“It is?” she asks.
“You”d better believe it, Kiddo,” I say and drop a kiss on the top of her head, “Now, I need to talk to your principal. Do you need anything else from Mama right now?”
“Can I have one more big squeeze? And can we go home?” she asks.
“You can have as many big squeezes as you want, but I do have to talk to the principal before we go home, okay? It’s important.”
“Okay.” She sighs.
I hug her tightly for a few moments and then look up at the principal when I let go.
“Is she able to visit with the counselor while we talk?” I ask. “I’d rather her not have to go through it all again while we chat.”
“Absolutely.” She nods. “Ms. McFale is ready and waiting for her next door.”
At the sound of her name, the counselor pops her head out her door.
“Hello, Ms. Hayes, good to see you.”
I nod. “Nice to see you as well.”
“Audrey,” she calls, “I’m having some trouble with my block tower. Do you think you could come help me out while your mom and the principal talk about grownup stuff?”
Audrey’s eyes brighten, and she wipes the last of the tears from her eyes. “Can I?”
“Go ahead.”
She scampers off and disappears into the counselor’s office.
“All right,” says the principal as she settles into her chair. “I believe that Lilly already gave you an overview of the situation, correct?”
“She did, and I’m sure you heard Audrey tell me something very similar just now. Is there anything more I need to know? Anything else they missed?” I ask nervously.
“About what happened with Audrey? No. That’s the long and the short of it.” She gestures to the police officer in the chair next to me. “Officer Taylor and I wanted to let you know about what happened after that.”
“Okay.” I nod. “Please fill me in.”
“Officer Taylor, did you want to tell her or shall I?” she asks.
“I’m fine with you telling it,” he says. “I’ll jump in as needed.”
“So, Mrs. Clark noticed something amiss right away and was on her way to the fence before Audrey started calling for her. She was able to radio to the office about someone suspicious by the fence, and we were able to alert Officer Taylor. Now, the school was able to press charges for trespassing and get all the photos of the children that were taken permanently deleted. The reporter has been arrested on those charges. The school plans to put up a privacy screen around the fence in the next few days so that this isn’t able to happen again.”
I nod appreciatively. “Thank you.”
“What I would like to know,” Interjects Officer Taylor, “is whether you’d like to also press charges for harassment. I’ve already taken the liberty of taking Mrs. Clark’s statement, but I do need your permission to talk to Audrey to get her statement.”
“Yes, let’s do that,” I say. “They need to know that harassing a child has consequences.”
“Then I think we’re settled here.” The principal nods. “Unless you have any questions?”
“I appreciate how quickly this was dealt with,” I say. “The only thing I want is a copy of the police report.”
He nods. “I can do that.”
Officer Taylor records Audrey’s dictated statement in the counselor’s office. She basically repeats what she told me when I got there and answers a few other simple questions from Officer Taylor. When that’s done, the counselor gives her a sticker.
After I confirm that Hank is outside with a quick call, we head to the car. I’m not sure if there are actually cameras clicking or if I’m just paranoid, but I feel a thousand eyes on me.
Sure enough, as we pull off, a few cars start following us, but after a few turns, it seems like we’ve been able to shake them off.
My phone buzzes and I scramble to answer it.
“Mom, you have no idea how happy I am to hear from you,” I gush. “I was going to call you when I got home. Today has been just awful with what happened at the school. I’m sorry I didn’t let you know right away. I was just so worried.”
“That’s not why I was calling, but what happened with Audrey? And why isn’t your phone off? I was going to leave you a message. Shouldn’t you be at work?”
“I had to leave early. It’s too much to go over right now. You first,” I say.
“Well, I’m glad I caught you when I did, then.” Mom sighs. “Honey, you can’t come home. They found you somehow. Twenty or more reporters are camped out in your front yard.”
“Are you two okay?” I ask.
“As soon as we saw them pulling up, your father and I packed a bag and called your Aunt Gert to tell her we were coming for a surprise visit because it was only a matter of time before one of our lovely neighbors blabbed about us. We snuck out right under their noses,” she says smugly.
“Do you want me to meet you there?” I ask.
“No, Love, go stay with your men. You’ll be safer in that gated community than with us and Aunt Gert,” Mom says. “You have a key, right?”
“I do.” I sigh. “I just wish…”
“I know, honey. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
After I fill in Hank, I text the group chat.
Emily - Change of plans. Mom said reporters are surrounding my house. Headed to your place, so don’t be surprised when you get home and there are lights on. Call me when you can.
I just hope my mom is right and Audrey and I will be safe there.