Page 83 of Needing to Fall

“Then we talk about it and deal.”

“Okay.” He breathed out as his shoulders slumped, and I knew I had my Lynx back.

“Now, would you take me to the doctor so I can get some help?” I said it as cute as I could, trying to lighten the mood, but Lynx wasn’t fully to that point. I looked at Bailey. “I’m so sorry about the plates and dinner.”

“Stop that right now. It’s my fault for not checking for Bray’s toys. I didn’t …” She paused, the words caught in her throat as she cleared it. “I’m so sorry, Reign.”

“It’s okay.”

“I’m taking her,” Lynx said, picking me up in a bridal hold.

We passed the living room where Braylynn was sitting on her dad’s lap, crying.

“Wait,” I told Lynx, and he halted. “Let me down. I need to talk to Braylynn.”

“No, we need to go.”

I fully turned to Lynx. “I know that, but she’s scared, and I’m not leaving her when I know that. I spent my entire childhood being scared, and I refuse to do that to anyone, especially a child.”

Lynx waited a beat then set me on my feet. I felt a bit woozy and the room spun a bit, but I made it over to her and kneeled down on the floor so our faces were level.

“Braylynn?” I asked, and she opened her beautiful, brown eyes filled with tears spilling over. “Hey, honey. I’m all right. Your Uncle B is going to take me to the doctor and get me all fixed up. There’s no need to worry. Everything is just fine.”

“Blood,” she said.

“Yes, that’s what happens when you cut open your skin. I’m sure you’ve had a scraped knee or two, right?”

She nodded.

“It’s the same thing. I need to go get it checked out, but there is no need to be sad or scared.”

“But …” she sobbed. “I didn’t pick up my toys when mommy told me to.”

Ah, so that was what it was.

“You know, sometimes we forget things. We get busy and things slip our minds. We don’t do it on purpose, but it happens, and we take it as a learning lesson.” I wasn’t quite sure where all of this was coming from. I sounded like a combination of Wrestler McMann and Lynx. Scary.

“I’ll pick them up, promise.”

“That’s good, but no more tears, okay? It’s all going to be just fine.” I tried to soothe her and felt the urge to touch her knee in reassurance, so I did. That was the moment I had a little five-year-old in my arms, her arms linked around my neck as the panic kicked in.

It took me long moments as I breathed and breathed.

“Let—”

I cut Lynx off, “No.” He stopped speaking as I finished breathing and wrapped my arm around the little girl. “See? Going to be just fine.”

She nodded her little head, her pigtail coming in contact with my lips, and it tickled. Finally, she dried herself up and let go.

“Now we’re leaving,” Lynx ordered as he picked me back up and carried me out of the house.

I woke to Lynx taking very deep breaths in and out, my head lying on his chest, rising and falling with him. I could almost hear him counting in his head as his arms tightened around me. His skin had changed from normal to clammy with sweat.

I lifted my head, and Lynx’s eyes shot open to me. He wasn’t lost like he had been three days before, but he wasn’t there, either.

“Lynx?” I called out as he exhaled roughly, his lips moving with each breath. “What’s wrong?”

Over those past days, Lynx had kept his eyes on me like a hawk, barely letting me out of his sight.