Page 67 of That First Flight

“You sure as hell did,” she exclaims. “Now tell me about the blonde hottie. Is he treating you right?”

My lips immediately twist into a smile at the thought of him, while my eyes remain fixed on a selfie he posted on the back deck of another house I vaguely remember while traveling along the mountain street. It must be Marc and Avery’s new house.

“He’s one of the good ones, Flora.”

“That’s all I need to know dear.” I can hear the smile in her voice and it warms my heart.

“I have to head back to work, but don’t be a stranger,” she scolds. “Keep me updated on work! I’m so excited to see you kill it down there.”

“Thank you. Tell Samuel we said hi!”

With that, I hang up the phone to finally get to making dinner for us.

Since Mackenzie’s stomach is still bothering her, I decide to make some chicken noodle soup for her and a sandwich for myself. I turn on some music and find myself bopping around the kitchen with a smile on my face when Mackenzie enters the kitchen crying.

She’s in full on hysterics, clenching her stomach and screaming out in pain.

I rush to her. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know,” she cries out louder. “It hurts so bad. I can’t take it.”

“Where does it hurt this time?”

“Here. Same as before.” She holds her lower right stomach. “Ow. Mom. Please help me.”

I’ve never felt so helpless in all my time of being her mom. In the eight years since she’s been born, she’s never had to go to the hospital or had any type of emergency. The worst we’ve ever dealt with was some allergies that turned into a cough.

“Do you think we need to go to the hospital?”

“Yes. Please. It hurts so bad I can’t stand up. This is so much worse than earlier today.”

I don’t even bother to clean up the lunch meat I left out before I swipe my bag from the table next to the couch and pick her up bridal style to carry her downstairs. Her tiny arms wrap around my neck as sobs wrack her body harder.

I want to cry myself because there’s nothing worse than seeing your baby in pain.

My first thought as the elevator brings us to the first floor is it’s her appendix.

Did it rupture? Does she have an infection?

We hail a taxi and take her to the closest emergency room which is four minutes away.

Thank God.

Her pain never once lets up and as soon as we enter the waiting area, she vomits everywhere. The pain is so intense for her little body that it forces her to expel everything she’s eaten all day.

“Someone please help me,” I cry out now.

A nurse rushes to us, throwing her on a wheelchair and bringing her immediately back into a room. I’m struggling to see through tear filled eyes as I stand in the corner and watch the nurses and the doctors hook her up to monitors and give her a quick assessment.

She pukes again, but this time her body turns white as a ghost like she’s on the verge of passing out.

“Is she okay?” I ask the nurses.

No one answers me as one draws her blood and another takes a set of vitals on her.

“Macey?” A blonde runs over to me, wrapping her arms around me as if she’s known me forever.

“Yeah?”

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