Both she and Ashley rushed to the doorway, but what horrified me most was their reaction. Neither of them ran toward Emily or reached for Noah. They simply froze like people suddenly confronted by evidence they never expected anyone else to see.
My mother insisted Emily had seemed fine the previous night while Ashley nervously suggested Emily might be exaggerating for attention. Hearing that while my wife and newborn son burned with fever nearly shattered something inside me permanently.
I wrapped Noah inside my hoodie, lifted Emily into my arms, and ran barefoot outside while shouting for help. Our neighbor Mr. Harris immediately came outside, saw the condition they were in, and grabbed his SUV keys without asking a single unnecessary question.
During the drive to the hospital, Emily’s head rolled weakly against my shoulder while Noah became quieter and quieter in my arms. I kept repeating his name over and over because the silence terrified me more than crying ever could.
