| UNHINGED | WILHEMINA VENABLE

39

Years later*

Wilhemina and I are married.

We are in the mall babysitting Wilhemina's niece, as some of us might already know Wilhemina hate children as much I do. I don't even know why her sister let us.

From what we know, this thing is five years old, that's how how it has been on this earth.
The name 'Daisy'

"shit where is she?" I gasp at my wife, we have lost track of the five years old, while whispering sweet nothing to each other.

"I don't -..." Wilhemina see Daisy on a gigantic plastic octopus in the kid playground, 'the secret sea' is what it called.

"There! She is" we let out a loud exhaled, "Daisy get down" my wife says waving at her niece, "Daisy you want cupcake?" I point at the store in front, she shake her head and continue climbing high up.

"Davina do something, we can't bring a broken neck kid back to her mom" she push me gently onto the playground, I look at her weird.

"Why do I have to do this?" I mouth her, "well- you climbed 12ft wall twice baby I'm hope you can do this" she wave bye bye. I climb up the octopus with the other kid, all the moms whispering something I couldn't get my ear to.

The little thing is now hanging on a monkey bars, i crawl into the hole and out then into another hole, "Daisy!" I try to get her but this is madly fast.

I fall off the colorful spider wax thingy, you know what I'm done.

"MOMMY MOMMY!!!" I hear a little girl crying, it's Daisy, I run my legs off to the slide, a boy was biting on her arm, "Hey!!! you get off her!" I pull the boy out, he try to bite me, I shove a plastic ball into his mouth.

Daisy keeps crying louder and louder, "shhh baby" I pick her up rubbing her back, "I want my mommy" she says choking on her tears.

I'm totally fucked. I can't handle a crying kid, and this one is loud.

I carry her out the playground, Wilhemina look concern, "what is it? why is she crying???" she asks rubbing her niece's back. Daisy turns and see Wilhemina she open her arms for her, Wilhemina widen her eyes looking at me, I give Daisy to her. Mina give her cane to me and take Daisy into her arms. "A boy bites her arm" I says, "what!?" She looks for the bites mark on daisy's arm and it is bad.

"Shhh shhh don't cry dear" "I want my mommy" she cry to Mina, "mommy is busy, you want ice cream sweetheart?" she wipe away Daisy's tears, the little girl nods, "let's go for ice cream then" I giggles at Wilhemina being a second mother to the child.

"which one, dear?" Mina asks us, "I'll mint chocolate" I says, "I want strawberry and chocolate" Daisy pull on my shirt, "ok okay" we ordered and sit at the table next to the window.

Daisy sit on Wilhemina's lap, "aunty Mina, can we go and get some toys before we go home?" she asks Mina, "we'll see" she says, "pleaseee I'll be a good girl" she pouts, "come on honey, you can't say no to that face" I chuckle, "alright we can check out some of the new collections" she says smiling at her niece, "new collection? You sounds like you're at pro at this thing" I mock, "don't you adore new collection, dear" she tease, I know what she meant.

"Do aunty have a toy collection?" Daisy asks, "yes sweetheart, your aunty do own quite a collection" Wilhemina smirks, "can we check it out when we get home?" I choke on water, "I don't think so Daisy, you should ask aunt Vina", "Mina!?" I hold in my laugh. Good for us no one is in here.

Our ice cream came, I share mine with Mina, she said Daisy's taste better, mine tastes like toothpaste.

We finish our ice cream and agree to go on Daisy's little trip to the toys world.