3 Years

55 - Trigger

I noticed this today. Why do the emojis turn black and white when bolded? It only appears this way on a computer though.

🍪🍪🍪

The other four waited as the boys went upstairs. Why didn't he just use the downstairs one? Lauren wondered.

She sat awkwardly while Nia and Ricky talked about their families. She found it interesting how many people she had never heard of; well, after all, she didn't know much (or anything at all) about her father in the first place, so any information would be intriguing.

Nia was saying how her parents had divorced but never remarried, but it wasn't like family holidays were awkward; they both still got along.

She was in the middle of recounting a family Christmas dinner memory when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Noah came practically running around the corner and sat in between Nia and Ricky.

"Hey, bud," Ricky said. "Where's Jayden?"

The boy didn't answer. Instead, he was beginning to breathe heavily. "Noah? You ok?" Nia asked, worried. He didn't seem to be returning to normal.

"Oh my god. Oh my god!" Ricky panicked as the realization dawned on him. "He's having a panic attack." He bent down in front of him and held his hand, Nia doing the same.

Lauren and Nini stood up from the couch, not knowing what to do. Lauren saw Jayden finally come back downstairs. "Can you get some water?" Ricky asked no one in particular. Nini ran to the kitchen and came back with an almost full glass of water.

Nia held it in front of Noah, encouraging him to take it; the boy wouldn't budge. "We're gonna go outside for a minute," Ricky said, carefully picking him up. The three of them walked out the front door, and Ricky set Noah on the porch swing.

When they were gone, Nini turned to Jayden. "What happened upstairs?"

Jayden quickly answered with, "I don't know. Truly, I don't. He asked to see my room, so I showed him. He noticed the old toy chest and asked what was inside; I started taking a few things out to show him, then he was gone. I assumed he had gone to the bathroom, but then I heard all that was happening down here."

Nini sighed. "Ok, let's just wait for him to calm down. It's not your fault," she said, gently rubbing his shoulder.

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Ricky was on one knee in front of Noah while Nia was sitting next to him in one of the chairs on the front porch. "Bubba, breathe with me, ok?" he said. Ricky exaggerated his breathing and urged Noah to follow along; Nia put her hand on his back to try and soothe him. They each held one of his hands.

"Remember what we talked about," Nia whispered. "One." She wanted him to count with her to give his mind something to do. Instead of verbally following, he squeezed their hands, the alternative if he couldn't talk. "Two," she continued. He squeezed their hands a second time.

They kept going with this, repeating a sequence of one through ten about three times before Noah's breathing was back to normal. "I- I'm sorry," he said once he could speak again.

"No, no, bubba," Ricky immediately said. "You don't have to apologize for anything."

"What is it that scared you?" Nia asked.

"Um... th- there was a, uh... in Jayden's room," he said. Ricky and Nia look at each other, a silent conversation. Ricky went back inside while Nia reassured the frightened child.

When Ricky walked back in, Nini straight away asked, "Is he ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, he'll be ok. Something just scared him." He turned to Jayden. "Can you show me whatever it is he saw?"