With Nina's help, Lain and Kaila got settled back into their house. Their tiring day of returning home was finally over with and now was the time Lain was not looking forwards to—planning what to do now.
"Why don't you go play with your toys for a while baby, I'll come get you for dinner in a little while. Aunt Nina and I have some things we'd like to talk about." Lain gently told her small girl watching sadly as she dragged her feet over to the open gate on the stairs heading up on her own.
Before she reached the top Mallix was just about to shut the gate. His hair still damp from the shower but the masculine smell radiating off him helped calm Kaila down.
Making grabby hands for him, he swept the girl off her feet and onto his lap carrying her into her playroom. He placed her down watching as she grabbed a nearby block, while he went to grab Mr. Tuffy for her. Passing it over to her, she greedily took it into her arms holding on for dear life to the poor bear.
Mallix smiled beginning to walk out when he heard a sad girl crying out to him, "no! No leave me!" She lifted her arms up for him again sticking her bottom lip out and eyes wide open.
While he knew he should be downstairs talking to his wife and Nina about the major issue at hand, he couldn't turn a face like this down.
He sat behind her as she collapsed backwards into him as he pulled her onto his lap. For a while they built and destroyed hundreds of different buildings and objects in blocks. And for a slight second there was a glimpse at his happy girl.
That was the Kaila he wanted to get back to. Not one that's nervous and anxious all the time, but his carefree girl who wanted to have fun. "Why don't we go and get you a bath? You can be all sparkly clean, and we can have some fun with bubbles while we're at it."
She shyly nodded blushing against him as he lifted her up and grabbed a new light colored outfit for her to wear after.
He sat her down on the toilet while he ran the water filling the tub, while adding in a heap of bubbles to the mix. "You ready precious?" He stopped the water as it rose high enough turning it back around to his nervous girl who shook her head and looked at him with wide eyes.
"Arms up?" She timidly joked while she cracked a smile. His devilish smile she yearned for finally came back up to the surface.
He nodded his head while she did so allowing him to remove her top and help her out of the rest of her cloths. Setting her down into the tub he pushed all the bubbles around her hiding most of her behind the giant mound of bubbles.
Grabbing a handful of the sudsy substance he piled them on top of her head sculpting a cowboy hat for her to wear. "Well howdy, don't reckon you've seen my little girl anywhere?" Mallix asked her in a funny western voice.
She giggled a little shaking her head no. In the midst of her shaking her head the bubbles all scattered around the place removing her disguise.
"Oh there she is. Hiding in plain sight I see." He pulled her closer to him outside of the tub kissing her wet forehead.
They went on for ages sculpting and crafting things once again, but this time Kaila would be spotless at the end of it. After they finished playing with the bubbles, Mallix drained the tub allowing the fun to drain away while he showered his little girl.
Once he dressed her properly into her pajamas, he lifted her up onto his lap walking into her nursery. It had been a few days since she was in here, and she missed it dearly. Together they sat on the rocking chair, enjoying one another's company.
Finally the tension that lingered on the plan and car ride home was finally dissipating. The love and joy that once filled the home was starting to return. At least upstairs it was.
Right when the moment felt too good to be true Lain barged in announcing dinner was ready before storming out again.
"Uh oh, mommy mad" Kaila pointed to the empty doorway that Lain was standing in moments earlier.
"She is, so let's not make it any worst. Be good and eat all your dinner with no complaining." He warned standing up with Kaila on his hip as he walked downstairs.
Downstairs Lain and Nina were in the middle of an argument. Each of them yelling at one another. Mallix quickly sat Kaila on the floor running to break the fight up when hands started grabbing hair.
"Kaila go back upstairs!" Mallix shouted over top of their yelling. But she was froze. She had never seen them get this aggressive. Her mind told her to get up and follow Mallix's instructions but her body felt paralyzed.
Every inch of her was stuck. "Kaila! Kaila!" She broke out of her head hearing Mallix shouting to her while getting in between the two women.
"Now! Upstairs!" He shouted one more time when the tear works started falling. She found the strength to turn herself around and ran up the stairs slamming the door to the couples bedroom as she laid flat on their bed.
She hid her face into their pillows softening her cries but the anger in their voices lingered through the halls. She threw another pillow over top her head trying to silence them but to no avail.
The pillow blocked out their voices, but the imprint it left in her head stayed yelling at her. Over and over she replayed Mallix yelling at her to move, the way his voice shook with anger and eyes darkened was terrifying.
She was lost in her own set of tears, getting too caught up on her head of what was going on downstairs. Kaila didn't know what to expect was happening but one thing is for sure, one thing she knew started this all—it was her.
The realization only made her fall deeper into a sobbing fit, she didn't even need to hide her head anymore in the pillows. Her own cries were loud enough to block them out.
Before she could calm herself down and make sense of the situation, the small girl unknowingly cried herself to sleep. The evening was stressful enough but this was taking it to another level.
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Let me know what you think. Thanks Lexx signing off