Breathing Rhyme Novels & Stories

I calmed my mother's racing heart, slowed her rapid breathing. “Mom, I'm here,” I said. “Breathe with me. In, one, two, three, four. Hold four. One, two, three, four. Out for four. One, two, three, four.” I repeated the pattern several times, until Mom matched me breath for breath. Her eyes finally focused on my face. “The baby,” she whispered, tears trailing over her cheeks. “They took the baby. I couldn't stop them. They took your baby!”

“Close your eyes.” I did. The world turned inward instantly. And inside me, everything was loud. Keiran’s voice begging. Beverly’s laughter. The word freak. Ronan’s mouth on mine. Ronan’s promise. My own voice screaming leave until my throat burned. My breath caught. My mother’s voice cut through the noise like a blade through fog. “Breathe in for four. Hold for two. Out for six.” I tried. In… two… three… four. Hold. Out… slowly. My lungs shook.

But the thought he had believed so coherent in his mind came out as a garbled mess of air and words. Her hold tightened on him, but her voice stayed calm, and after some time had passed, he didn't know how long, he looked up at her and followed her instructions to breathe. “In,” she told him, “and out.” She smiled. “See, you're doing it. Just keep breathing. Inhale on a count to five, exhale on a count to five. You've got this. You can do this. I know you can do this.” He didn't know how long it took before he believed her. Or how long after he believed her that his breathing actually reflected it.