Red_Roses_and_Black_Dahlias_-_Macy_T

When I finished showering and getting dressed in a pair of satin pajamas,
I went back to my baby’s room, to see she hadn’t moved. I could hear the TV
playing in the living room, which was probably where Maddox was.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, I caressed her hair delicately. A frown hit
my face when I felt her burning skin, though. Valentina stirred, her eyebrows
pulling together as she looked up drowsily at me.
“It hurts, Dada.” She moaned, clearly in pain. She was burning up with a
fever and I could feel the panic seep into my pores.
I swore and called for Maddox. This wasn’t the first time I'd had to take
care of a sick Valentina, but somehow this felt different and I knew having
Maddox close by would help me.
He came in as I was touching Valentina’s forehead again, “She’s burning
up.” I sounded as panicked as I felt.
“Shit, I’ll call Andrea, okay?” I nodded absentmindedly and he went out
to retrieve his phone.
“It hurts, Dada. My tummy hurts.” silent tears streamed down her cheeks
and my heart started beating a little faster.
“It’s okay, mami, can you get up a little? I’ll get you something to drink
and a cold towel to put on your head.” I tried helping her sit up but a gutwrenching
moan fell out of her lips and more tears ensued. Frowning, I
decided to take the covers off of her to try and massage her stomach.
But as soon as I did, I regretted it.
Blood.
There was so much blood on the white sheets, on her pink pajama pants,
everywhere.
I was instantly brought back to that night, where blood had been
everywhere too and I felt my whole body lock up in shock. I couldn’t breathe
anymore as I bore my eyes into Valentina’s panicked ones. A whirlwind of