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"I don't think it's a good idea, Noah."
Kadence Thomas stood at the kitchen window, looking out and watching as her two daughters played in the backyard.
They'd practically begged to go outside all morning, Violet claiming that it was, "too nice of a day not to." Sometimes, the woman wished her daughters weren't so smart for their ages. Only a year apart, that's where she figured she made her mistake. She wanted them at least five apart, but Noah insisted on them being so close.
He loved how close they were, too. Wherever Violet was, Nala was. Bonded at the hip, his girls were his entire world.
"They're too young to travel so far," she continues. "Nala's utterly afraid of anywhere that isn't this house, and Violet has a tendency to run off and think she's free to roam."
Her hands grip the sink, knuckles burning white the longer she looks out the windowpane.
From behind, Noah wraps his arms tightly around his wife. He holds her close, lets his breath brush against the back of her neck. It always called her down, even when they were mere freshman in college.
College is what brought them together, but everything in between now and then is what glued them.
"They would love Savannah, though. The warm air, the sandy beaches... What's so wrong about that?" The sandy beaches and warm air were a bribe, Kadence knew it. She'd been to Savannah once before with him, when she met her parents the summer after they first met. In fact, she met his entire family.
They were all there to welcome her with open arms. It's the summer they fell in love, the summer that set everything in stone.
She sighs. "There's nothing wrong with it, but there's something wrong with our daughter."
In the backyard, Violet plays with her little sister as if she's the most fragile thing in the world, like she's afraid she'll break her with one wrong move.
You have to be gentle, Kadence would say. She's a lot more sensitive, Violet.
Violet never understood her mothers worries. And, if Kadence were being honest with herself, she never truly understood it, either.
Having children came with the risk of passing things down, its why it took so much convincing from everyone around her. She was scared one of her babies would turn out... Bad. She didn't want that, didn't want them to suffer.
"There's nothing wrong with her-"
She shakes her head, "There is. She had an entire meltdown over the tag in her shirt, and she hates loud noises and can't stand the sound of rain when it hits her window," She says. "There's something wrong."
Noah knew there was something wrong, but he always tried to write it off as her being a kid. Kids don't like a lot of things, kids having growing brains that barely even understand what their purpose of being on earth is.
They don't know anything.
But Nala did breakdown over the tag in her shirt, and she did have a tantrum when the music got too loud at the potluck last week.
He just didn't wanna admit that there was something off about his baby girl.
"You already set it up, didn't you?" He questions. His heart beats so fast in his ears, thudding with anticipation. He wasn't ready for this, to see her in a room getting tested for things she wouldn't understand until she was old enough.
Kadence nods. "It's next week, and they said that she shows a lot of the signs."
"I just need to be sure, okay? So, don't be mad with me."
And he can't help but smile because she's his wife, his entire world. "How could I ever be mad with you?" He kisses her cheek.
"You're her mother, you know when something's up," He says. "If you think she needs testing, then we'll do the testing."
Noah watches as Kadence lets go of a breath, one she probably hadn't even known she was holding. Just then, the screen of the back door shoots open, and two pairs of feet stomp on the tile and over to them.
"Daddy!"
They hug their fathers legs so tight, he swears they're gonna fall off.
Noah kisses his lover once more before finally letting go of her, and soon, his daughters have filled her spot.
"You two need a bath!" And the girls giggle as he scrunches his nose, rubbing it in the faces and kissing their foreheads and cheeks.
Violet ruffles his hair. "Do do you," She says. "I didn't think being a law-er could make you smell so much."
For as long as he could remember, she'd never been able to pronounce the word. But still, he loved when she said it.
"We'll, being a law-er is very hard work," he teases. "Sometimes the rooms are really hot, and sometimes I have to stand outside because they're too cold."
"People need defending on even the hottest of days," Kadence chuckles. Squeezing his shoulder, she brushes by towards the refrigerator.
He shoots her a smile, "Sure do-"
But his head is whipped back around by tiny hands.
Nala, small and fragile, is staring back at him. Her brows are furrowed, smile kind of twisted and confused.
"Hair," She says, touching his beard. "No."
"What, you don't like it?" He laughs.
She shakes her head, smiling. "No."
"Should I shave it?"
"Yes," Nala and Kadence chorus.
Placing a hand to his heart, he scoffs playfully. "And I thought you guys loved me for who I am."
When Kadence leaves, smile glued to her face, the happiness dies down just the slightest bit. He hated this. He knew she'd left on purpose. How could he possibly tell his youngest daughter that'd be tested, grilled, and searched for answers in only a week?
It felt impossible.
Sitting the girl down, she faces him, back straight but eyes wondering around the room. She could never focus much, not unless it was something she truly liked.
Her tiny hands grip his index fingers.
"So, next week, we have somewhere really important to go. Mommy set it up, and you're gonna meet all these cool people, and you'll get to play with toys and talk to them about whatever you want," he starts, "and it might get really hard sometimes because there might be loud noises, but mommy and daddy are gonna be right in the other room."
Her head starts shaking fast.
She doesn't speak, but her hands sign 'No'.
"I know you don't wanna do it, and that you don't like being around new people, but it'll be really fun, okay?" He can see the tears welling in her eyes, he can feel his heart about to give out.
Please don't cry, he thought. Please, please, please.
'I don't want to,' she signs. 'I don't wanna go there.'
Her fingers reach for the string tied around her neck, a tactile toy being tied to it. She grips it with great strength, feeling over the tiny bumps.
She uses her other to say, 'No.'
Noah's heart only continues to sink. "How about this, how about I stay in the room with you the entire time?" He asks. "I'll be there whenever you need me, but we've gotta do this, Sweet Pea."
Her breath hitches as she keeps herself from crying.
So young but so emotionally intelligent.
Reluctantly, she nods her head.
"Do you need a hug?"
She nods her head again, cheeks turning red as tears slip down them.
Her arms reach out, hands grabbing at the air as she waits impatiently.
Noah picks her up, and the moment her head hits his chest, the waterworks begin on both ends.
Their sniffles fill the kitchen, bouncing off the walls as he rubs small circles on his little girls back.
"It's okay," he whispers. "It's gonna be okay."
But he couldn't tell if he was reassuring her or himself.