Playing with fire (Amelia Shepherd) ABANDONED

fifty eight

"Diane is coming at nine, Mallie," Amelia called upstairs. "I'm taking the kids to that child psychiatrist at twelve, so, if you're done, can you be there?"

"I told Diane I had to be done by eleven so I had time to get to the office," Mallie called back downstairs. "Don't worry, mi vida."

"Okay."

Mallie left the bedroom and headed downstairs, smiling weakly at the kids eating breakfast so she didn't tug too hard on her stitches.

"You have that meeting with Ross and Dixon in ten minutes," Amelia looked at her phone. "You need to go. Wait, why would you schedule a meeting with Ross and Dixon at the same time you have therapy? That's insane."

"Vic's going for me," Mallie said. "She offered. She's taking Andy, too."

"I thought you were going," Amelia said.

"I was gonna go, and then you've been a bit loca all morning, so, I cancelled. Natasha was cool with it," Mallie said. "Mi vida, breathe, okay? Look, go to the hospital and put the kids in daycare, and then go and see Richard and go to a meeting. We'll meet for the kid's appointments and then we're gonna say goodbye to Mer and the kids, and it'll all be okay. Okay?"

Amelia nodded slowly, running her hands through her hair.

"It's okay, mama," Myles mumbled around his cereal spoon. "Mamí's got you."

"I know, baby," Amelia said, smoothing her hand over his head. "I know. Mama is just tired."

"Do you want a cuddle?" Pru asked, holding her arms out.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Amelia said, moving to hug Pru. "You're too good to me."

"I love you, mama," Pru said, kissing her cheek.

"I love you, more, Pru," Amelia whispered tearfully.

She stood up and kissed Scout and Myles' foreheads.

"And I love you, my boys," Amelia said.

"Love you, mama," they mumbled around their cereal.

Mallie held her arm out and Amelia walked over, tucking herself under Mallie's arm and into her side. Mallie rested her chin on Amelia's forehead, rubbing her arm up and down soothingly.

"Everything is okay, mi vida," Mallie whispered.

"I know," Amelia muttered. "I know. Okay. Okay, I'm going. Okay, kids, are we ready to go?"

"Yeah, mama," the kids chorused.

Mallie helped the kids get their coats and shoes on and buckled them in Amelia's car, then kissed them goodbye. She kissed Amelia goodbye, too, waving them off as she reversed out of the driveway.

The doorbell rang about half an hour later while Mallie was chopping up fruit for smoothies. She put the knife down and left the kitchen, wiping her hands on the teatowel she grabbed and opening the door.

"Wow," Diane blinked, staring at the cut on Mallie's face.

"I'm in my Frankenstein era," Mallie said, stepping aside. "I'm making smoothies. Or I will be making smoothies. Come in. You want one? Or coffee? I have a lot of coffee."

"Smoothies sound good," Diane smiled, closing the door behind herself and following Mallie to the kitchen. "How are you doing?"

Mallie hummed as she moved to wash her hands again to keep chopping the fruit.

"All things considered, I am way more mentally stable than I expected to be," Mallie said honestly, drying her hands and moving back to the fruit.

"What did the doctors say about...?" Diane motioned to Mallie's face.