June 1st 2020
- Karlie -
One of the bullets fired into the bathroom left a flesh wound on my arm but other than that we were uninjured. There was one final gunshot after those stopped and Kieran Emerson was shot and taken away by the SWAT team sent in to apprehend him.
"Mama!" I turn around as I hear Rosie's voice and I kneel down to take the little one in my arms, wincing as she collides with my bandaged arm. They took me to the emergency room to be checked out and Auggie was taken back to Taylor but I had to speak to the police before I could see any of them.
"Hi," I give Taylor a teary smile as I lift Rosie, holding the little girl on my hip as I pull the blonde into a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay," she sighs as I feel her tears fall onto my shoulder, "we're all okay, Teff, all four of us."
Fortunately the social worker was left unharmed too. He shot into the wall beside her but everyone is okay. We haven't heard much about any other casualties yet.
I sit Rosie down on the gurney beside the baby sleeping in his car seat and I shake my head as I hold Taylor's hand. This day was crazy but I am so thankful that they are all okay, I don't know what I would have done if something happened to them.
"I'm going to go and discharge you and then we can go home," I nod as she squeezes my hand, kissing her gently before she goes to the reception desk for the paperwork. "I was scared," Ro is clinging to her giraffe as she looks up to me and I give her a warm smile as I nod, "me too."
I look between the five year old and her baby brother, "but there is absolutely nothing to be scared of anymore, okay? Your daddy is gone forever and mama and i will always protect you, Rosie, nobody is ever going to hurt you again." I pull her into my lap as I stop myself crying and I press a kiss to her forehead, taking a shaky breath as I watch August sleep. He's so oblivious to all of the pain and evil that surrounded him today, but I can swear from this second that neither of them will ever know that kind of pain again. I would give my life to protect them.
---
"I'll drive," Taylor gives me a warning glare as we get to the car and I nod, knowing that it's best not to argue, especially after the day we've had.
"There you go, sweet boy," I lift the car seat onto the base and clip it in, making sure that August is safe and secure as Taylor buckles Ro in. I close the door and get into the passenger's seat, letting my head fall back against the headrest as I sigh.
I don't even want to think about how different today could have ended. If Teff hadn't taken Rosie to the bathroom when she did then who knows if we all would have made it out of that room alive.
"We're all safe, Kar," I hadn't even noticed Taylor get in but she laces her fingers through mine as she watches me and I nod, leaning in to kiss her, desperate to feel the familiar comfort. "I love you so much," I whisper the words as I lean my forehead against hers and she smiles, "I love you too, Karlie, more than the world."
- Taylor -
Neither of us felt much like cooking when we got home so Karlie is ordering us some food as I cuddle with Rosie and August. The little one doesn't really understand what happened today, all she knows is that there was a scary situation but now everything is fine and we're all safe. All I'm scared of now is how much this is going to affect Karlie. I know how scared I felt so I can't imagine how much worse it was for her.
"Dinner is on the way," I look up as the model walks back into the living room. She's wearing a smile but at this point I'm not sure who she thinks it's helping. "And momma is just in time to start Frozen with us," I smile as I hold a hand out to Karlie, pulling her down into the empty space at my side.
