Chapter 37: Emma's Fear

A tiny whimper from Emma's room jolted me awake around 2 AM. I lay there for a second, hoping she'd just roll over and go back to sleep. But then I heard it again—a scared little cry that made me bolt out of bed in my pajamas.

I found Emma sitting up, all sweaty, clutching her dolphin toy. Her eyes were huge and scared in the nightlight glow.

"Mommy," she whispered, reaching for me with shaky hands. "The sad lady was in my dream again."

My heart just squeezed. I pulled her close, feeling her little body tremble. "It was just a dream, sweetie. You're okay."

"But she was trying to take me away from you and Daddy," Emma said into my shoulder. "She said I belonged with her instead."

That gave me the creeps. Even in her dreams, Sophia was messing with my kid, planting doubts in her head.

"That's not true, honey. You belong with us, and that's that."

Bare feet padding down the hall meant Mikel was here. He stood in the doorway in his pajama pants and t-shirt, hair all messed up, but his eyes were wide with concern.

"Nightmare?" he asked softly, coming over to sit on Emma's bed.

Emma nodded, still clinging to me. "The sad lady again, Daddy. She says scary stuff."

"Like what?" Mikel's voice was gentle, but I could see his jaw was tight.

"She says you might leave again if I'm not good enough. She says maybe you don't really want to be my daddy because I was sick and caused trouble."

Hearing her repeat Sophia's crap just broke me. She wasn't just going after our family—she was messing with a five-year-old's head, and Emma didn't even know how to deal with it.

"Emma, look at me," Mikel said, waiting for her teary eyes to meet his. "I will never leave you again. Not if you're sick, not if someone tells me to, not for anything. Got it?"

"But what if the sad lady makes you?"

"Nobody can make me leave you. You and Mommy are the most important people in my life. Nobody else matters more."

I watched Emma try to process that, her little face serious.

"Daddy, why does the sad lady want to hurt our family?"

That was the million-dollar question. How do you explain adult craziness to a little kid without scaring her even more?

"Sometimes grown-ups get mixed up," I said carefully. "The sad lady thinks she likes Daddy, but really wanting people is about wanting them to be happy, even if it's not with you."

"So she doesn't really like Daddy?"

"She likes the idea of him," Mikel said quietly. "But real people don't try to hurt kids or break up families. Real love protects the people it cares about."

Emma was quiet for a minute, taking that in. "Like how you and Mommy like me?"

"Exactly. Mommy and I like you so much we'll do anything to keep you safe and happy."

"Even if it's hard?"

"Especially if it's hard," I said, smoothing her hair. "That's what families do—we take care of each other, no matter what."

Emma settled back, but she still had a death grip on that dolphin. "Can you guys stay until I fall asleep? Sometimes I see the sad lady again when I close my eyes."

"Of course," Mikel said, settling in more comfortably.

I moved to her other side, and soon Emma was snuggled between us, her breathing getting slower as we told her stories about brave dolphins protecting their families.

"Mommy," she whispered as I thought she was drifting off, "am I safe at school too?"

"Totally safe. Mrs. Henderson and all your teachers are looking out for you, and there are security people who make sure no strangers get near you."

"What about when I grow up? Will the sad lady still try to hurt our family then?"

That showed me how deep the fear went. She wasn't just scared now—she was worried about this hanging over her for years to come.

"By the time you grow up, the sad lady will have gotten the help she needs," Mikel said gently. "And you'll be so big and strong and smart that you'll know how to protect yourself."

"Will you teach me how to be strong like you and Mommy?"

"We'll teach you everything we know," I promised. "But the most important thing is that you never have to be strong alone. Families help each other."

She was quiet for a while, then spoke again.

"Daddy, can I ask you something important?"

"Anything, princess."

Emma sat up a bit, her face serious. "Are you going to marry Mommy again?"

That caught us both off guard. I felt Mikel's surprise.

"Why do you ask that, sweetie?" I said carefully.

"Because Sarah at school says when mommies and daddies like each other and live together, they get married. And if you and Mommy got married, then the sad lady would know for sure that our family belongs together."

That five-year-old logic was both heartbreaking and spot on. Emma saw marriage as the ultimate sign that we were a family, the thing that would make Sophia back off.

"Emma," Mikel said quietly, "what Mommy and I feel for each other is important, but what's most important is that we both love you completely, no matter what."

"But you do like each other, right? Like the way the dolphins in my stories like their family?"

I looked at Mikel, seeing the same uncertainty in his eyes. We'd kissed, we'd talked about feelings, but marriage was a whole other thing.

"Yes," I said softly, making a choice to be honest. "We do like each other."

"And liking each other means wanting to stay together forever?"

"It means a lot of things," Mikel said gently. "But yeah, when people really like each other, they want to build a life together."

Emma thought about that for a second, then nodded firmly. "Then you should get married so the sad lady knows she can't break us up."

Despite everything—the fear, the threats, the middle-of-the-night craziness—I smiled at her.