A Day In The Life

Living nightmares

Liz didn't call. Of course she didn't. Because she was full of crap, he tried to convince himself. It still bugged him though.

And now, that voice woke him again. He couldn't sleep in his own bed. It was fucking impossible. Because SHE was there.
He stumbled down to the livingroom.

As if it wasn't enough with having Sarah almost not sleeping at all, then this fucking happened! After he got her, sleeping was luxury, something he was desperate for.

It was not uncommon for Joel having to sleep on the couch because Sarah was wide awake and he just couldn't stand laying there, listening to all her sighs, moans, and soft cries. Sometimes she kept going on the whole night through, and she would be really frustrated, and yeah, so was Joel.

Yes, she should have been sleeping in her own bedroom for now, she shouldn't be needing him at nights anymore, but Joel just hadn't had enough energy to go through it with her. Sarah was very dependent on him and she wanted him to sleep in the same room, which was actually ok, but now he was totally out of it, mentally drained, and knowing she was awake actually stressed him out bigtime.
Joel felt overloaded by all shit happening at the same time, and yeah, then all of a sudden, Sarah's mom came to him. Again.

"Joel! Help me! Please!" She was crying. Hard.
Joel didn't know where to look for her. He couldn't see her, he just heard her calling for him.
He ran upstairs, feeling her calls coming from the bedroom, but she wasn't there. Only Sarah was there, crying softly and uneasy. Joel didn't have any time to take care of that now. He had to find her mum. She was there, somewhere, crying too. If he would find her quick enough, maybe he could help her. Maybe he could save her. Maybe she didn't have to die.
Now she was calling from downstairs. Joel ran down.
"Where the fuck are you???"
He couldn't find her anywhere, he ran outside, looking for her in the bushes right in front of the frontdoor. She wasn't there either.

And then it finally struck him. She was dead already. There was nothing he could do. Now he remembered.
He fell down on the cold stonestairs, sobbing.
He could still hear her calling for him, for his help.
"What do you need me for? You know I would help you, if I only knew how!"

Joel figured he should actually ask Emma to take Sarah for a couple of days now. He had never asked for anyone to babysit her before. He felt that since Sarah was his kid, he had to take care of her himself. But now he was about to lose his senses. He got important things to fix.

Emma was happy to be asked, thrilled about having some days with her favourit-kid. She loved Sarah, almost if she was her own. But she completly understood, Sarah was a VERY demanding child, she was really exhausting to be with in the long run.
Emma had a feeling there was something "wrong " with Sarah, she was not like every other kid she had been with, and Emma knew a lot of kids, having worked in the daycare for some years, and always babysat neighbours' kids since she was a teenager herself.
Sarah was...somehow DIFFERENT. She was one in a kind, she was SPECIAL. Maybe that's why Emma's heart was pounding a little bit extra for that kid as well, along with the fact that she really loved Joel, if it hadn't been for Emma knowing and loving Sarah's mom equally as much, she would have hit on him.
Emma laughed at the thought. That was unthinkable to do though.
Emma still respected Sarah's mom way too much, and as much as she wanted Joel to find someone new to love, she knew he wasn't over her yet.

Emma was devastated when Sarah's mom died. She and Joel had been such a happy couple for those few years they got together. Young and happy, having the whole life in front of them, just waiting to be lived. And poor Sarah, lost her mom even before she got to know her. Such unfortunate circumstances. Such random! But yet, changed everyone's lives!
The least Emma could do for them was to be Sarah's favourite-auntie!
And she was!
Sarah didn't like people that much in general, but she liked her, which made Emma feel honoured. And important for them. She felt Joel being grateful for her as well. Such great feeling!