Page 47 of The Light to My Darkness (The Light to My Darkness 1)

"You know you're not supposed to leave without an adult," I said. Or at all. Seriously, how was she getting through the child locks?

"Mr. Porter said I wasn't in trouble." She blinked innocently up at us.

"Did he?" James said and knelt down in front of her. "Pumpkin, why did you leave without telling us?"

"I saw a real butterfly outside. And I wanted to catch it. I was supposed to get to play with the animals today."

"You should have asked us to come with you."

"But you would have said no! Mommy can never do anything because the storks haven't come yet. It's not fair!"

"I'm just going to..." Porter's voice trailed off as he walked back into the hall and closed the door behind him.

"Pumpkin, Mommy will do whatever you want as long as we stay inside, okay?" James said. "It's just too hot out today."

"It's not fair!" Scarlett screamed again. "Grandpa was going to take us to the zoo today. You promised! I want the zoo!"

"Scar," I said as soothingly as I knew how. "I'm sorry about the zoo. But we can go a different day, okay?"

My words didn't help at all. She just looked at me and shrieked at the top of her lungs. Tears immediately started falling from her eyes.

"Scarlett," James said sternly. "That is enough. Plans change. We'll go a different day."

She screamed even louder. It was like a chain effect and in a second I heard Sophie crying from the other room.

Damn it. One crying kid was bad enough. "Please look at Mommy," I said as I knelt down next to James. "I promise you we'll go a different day. We can even take Sophie and Axel with us."

"You're a liar! You're a mean mommy!"

Ouch.

"Scarlett Hunter, go to our room right now," James said. His tone probably would have made me go to my room.

"I hate the baby! I hope the storks cook her too long in the oven!"

"Now," James said.

"Fine! But you're a mean daddy too!" She screamed at the top of her lungs again and ran past us.

I sat backwards onto the floor. "What the hell was that? Her scream could rupture someone's eardrums."

"I have no idea." James ran his fingers through his hair as he stood up. "I hate when she calls me a mean daddy. How can she use such a cute phrase to break my heart in two?"

"She doesn't mean it," I said as he helped me to my feet. "We should go calm Sophie down."

A door slamming upstairs made me wince.

"I'll handle Soph," James said. "You can go talk to that little monster upstairs that I don't recognize at all."

I sighed and followed the path of the little girl I didn't recognize either. Scarlett rarely ever screamed. She'd cry when she was upset, but what I just witnessed was more of a wild banshee. What had gotten into her? I ran my hand across my stomach. She didn't mean it, baby boy. She's going to love you.

I made my way upstairs and knocked on her door.

"Go away!"

"Scar, can I please come in?"

"No!"

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