What’s one of your worst nightmares? Chances are it involves serious danger or injury coming to your child.  That’s pretty much a given and I could have easily told you that. 

But…. 

Until yesterday I could not have told you what my second worse fear was.  Now I know.  It involves someone I love bringing serious danger or injury to someone else.  I didn’t even know that I SHOULD fear this.  It hadn’t really crossed my mind.  Until yesterday.

I have mentioned before that I often walk around the lake in the morning with my friend.  She lives ¼ of a mile from me.  We alternate where we start each day.  Yesterday she walked to my house and we walked up around the lake from there.  While we were walking she asked if Kaitlyn (my almost 15 year old) could babysit for her four children for a few hours. Of course, I said yes.  She has babysat for them before and our houses are so close that if there is a problem she knows that Kaitlyn has me as a second line of defense, so to speak.

So, after lunch, I loaded Kaitlyn’s bike in my car ( she decided she would prefer to ride home afterwards) and dropped her off.  The children were playing nicely outside so she took over from there for their mom.

A bit later the phone rang.  When I saw that it was my friend’s number on the caller ID I knew something must be wrong.  Hopefully, just a child not wanting to cooperate.

But the tone of Kaitlyn’s voice made my blood run cold. 

“MOM! I cannot find A**** anywhere!”  (A**** just turned 3 last year). 

The first thing I thought of was the dock leading to the lake right in their back yard. 

“I’ll be RIGHT there.  Check the water.” I practically yelled.

I called to the other children that I needed to run to help Kaitlyn and to stay in the yard.

I sped the ¼ of a mile and was there in record time.

K***** (age:6 ½) came running out to me yelling, “We can’t find A**** ANYWHERE!!!”  On her heels were 8 year old brother L***** and 4 year old sister S***** echoing the message!

Kaitlyn ran to me…  “I don’t think she went down to the water.”

I thought I should double check anyway.  I sent K***** to look in closets and under furniture.  I told L**** to search all around the perimeter of the house.  Then, knowing what an energetic girl S***** is, I took her by the hand and told her to come with me.  Kaitlyn started retracing her steps and checking toyboxes, cabinets, even the fridge! A**** is SMALL! 

With S***** in tow, I laid down on the dock to peer into the clear water.  I was thankful it was clear!  What if she slipped UNDER the dock?  I took a deep breath and scanned the water fully expecting to see a little body.  My heart was pounding out of my chest and time seemed frozen.  Somewhere behind me I could hear S***** (still clinging to my right hand) repeating over and over, “Mrs. Christina, your hair is getting wet!” 

I assured her my hair would dry as I jumped up and led her up back into the yard calling A****’s name all the while. 

Then, I spotted the hot tub.  I didn’t remember that they had one.  Must be new.  We used to have one in our old house and it had a VERY heavy lid that we could latch one to prevent accidents and such. 

Absentmindedly, I wondered out loud, “Could A**** lift that lid off the hot tub?”

S***** let go of my hand and proudly announced, “NO, she is too little, but I can do it!” 

Again, my heart lurched into my throat as she lifted the lid with ease. 

Whew!  NO body there either.

At this point each searcher was ready to report their lack of success to me. 

I remembered the sound of children playing and riding their bikes in the road when I had arrived.  I sent Kaitlyn to search there.  She mentioned that she already had and she had seen two mutual friends ride by on their bikes and she had commissioned them to hunt too.” 

I saw A****’s tiny new shoes on the dining room floor and my heart sank.  What if…..

But then, again, I’ll bet she wouldn’t walk far on the hot pavement in her bare feet and as proud as she was of these new shoes when I dropped Kaitlyn off an hour ago, I doubted she would wear any others.

“Think!  Where did you last see her?” I pleaded.

“Weeell, we were playing upstairs and I asked her if she was hungry and I came downstairs to get a snack for her and when I went back upstairs she was gone!”

“Okay, I’ll look upstairs… you look downstairs.” 

S***** ran up the stairs ahead of me into A****’s room.  I figured we’d check under the bed, but before I could S***** gleefully announced, “HERE SHE IS!!!!”

And there she was, just like Goldilocks…  fast asleep in her own bed! 

I put my hand on her tiny back…  just to feel her breathe in and out.  She half-way opened her bright blue eyes and gave me a tired half-smile and promptly fell back into a peaceful sleep…not at all concerned for the panick racing through the rest of the house.

Kaitlyn has been reassured A*****’s family that A**** has done the same thing to them before and they actually think it is funny.

Funny?  Well, uh…  NOT QUITE.  But we are relieved, to say the very least. 

Later, I’ll have to tell you the further adventures of yesterday…  as if THAT weren’t enough!  But for now, I have to go eat laundry and start some lunch.  Hmmm…  no, that’s not quite right.  Fear must have addled my brain. 

Oh well, most of you are mommies or siblings…  so you probably knew what I meant anyway! 

PEACE to all!  And hug someone you love today!

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