Page 29 of Ten Years Later
Dana took her hand. “Let’s find some firewood.”
Sometime later a fire glowed, sending the awesome smell of camping through the air. Dana fed two hot dogs onto a thin branch. She showed Emily how to hold it over the fire.
“You got that?” Dana asked. “I’m going to go get the buns and mustard.”
“I got it.”
“Don’t eat it,” Dana warned. “It needs to cook first.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
Dana kissed her head. She left Emily holding the stick with the hot dogs. Dana walked across the pebbled beach and up to the campsite. She glanced over her shoulder at Emily before unzipping the tent and crawling inside.
She found the buns and mustard. Bunny sat propped against Emily’s pillow. Dana grabbed the stuffed animal. Emily loved to play-feed her. Dana also retrieved marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate.
She tucked Bunny inside the waistband of her hiking shorts. Everything else she carried in her arms as she stepped from the tent. She looked down at the fire pit and froze.
“Emily?”
Her daughter gasped.
Dana dropped everything and ran. Emily gripped her throat. On the ground beside her, the hot dogs rested, one missing a giant chunk. Her face began to turn purple.
Dana grabbed her. She gave her three hard whacks on the back between the shoulder blades.
Emily wheezed.
Dana turned her around, holding her around the waist. She pulled in and up just above her belly button. Once. Twice. Three times.
Emily rasped.
Dana knew she shouldn’t but she jabbed her finger down Emily’s throat, desperately searching for the hot dog.
Emily stared, making no sound.
Dana tried again, whacking her between the shoulder blades.
Emily made no sound.
Again with the Heimlich maneuver.
Emily made no sound.
Again to her back.
Emily made no sound.
Again with Heimlich.
Emily made no sound.
Emily made no sound.
Emily made no sound.
19 /CURRENT DAY
Mia toldherself to calm down, but by the time she picked Emily up from her shift at the studio her fury had not settled.
