Lawrence, Kansas. 22 years ago.
Mary walked gently into baby Samâs room, 4-year old Deanna clutched on her hip. âCâmon, letâs go say goodnight to your sister,â she cooed to Deanna.
The little blonde girl hopped down from her motherâs arms, paddling across the floor to her sisterâs crib. She stepped up on the stool beside the crib, leaning down to place a soft kiss on her sisterâs forehead. âGoodnight, Sam.â Mary joined her daughters, breathing out a soft, âGoodnight loveâ as she added a second kiss to the little girls forehead.
Deanna was smiling down at her squishy potato of a sister when she heard a gruff voice from the doorway. âHey, Dee.â
âDaddy!â she squealed, sprinting across the floor and nearly tripping over her new nightgown. She launched herself into her fatherâs arms, smelling the sweat and grease of a hard dayâs work, and loving him all the more.
âHey, Kiddo,â John whispered, tucking Deanna onto his hip. âSo, what do you think?â he asked, nudging his head towards the soon-to-be-sleeping baby. âYou think Sammyâs ready to toss around a football yet?â
Deanna scoffed at the idea. âNo, Daddy!â
âNo?â John repeated with a chuckle.
âSheâs just a baby!â Deanna insisted, looking forward to passing the football around with her father in their backyard on the weekend.
Mary walked by the two with a loving smile, brushing her fingers lightly over Johnâs shoulder. âYou got her?â
âI got her,â John assured her, giving his little girl an extra squeeze as she rested her head on his shoulder. He rubbed Deannaâs back, breathing in her freshly bathed smell - a welcome change from the oil, gas, and exhaust of the shop. âGoodnight, Sam,â he whispered to his youngest daughter, before flicking off the light and heading to Deannaâs room.
âCan we stay up and watch a movie, Daddy?â Deanna asked as she was carried off to her own bed. âIâm not even tired.â
John chuckled a little as he lets her down on the bed. âMaybe tomorrow night, Dee. You need to get your beauty sleep so you can help Mommy bake a pie tomorrow.â
âPie?â Deanna asked, her ears perking up. Nothing made her tummy warm and gooey like pie did.
John nodded, pulling the covers back and then folding them over his freckle-faced daughter. âYep. Guess how old your baby sister is today?â
Deanna scrunched her nose up, thinking. â⌠1?â
John shook his head with another soft laugh. âNot yet, Kiddo. Sheâs six months old. Thatâs about half a year.â
Deanna cocked her head sideways at her strange father. âThen why are we baking a pie now? Itâs not really her birthday.â
John ruffled her soft, wavy locks. âItâs a tradition your Mommy and I started when you,â he exaggerated the comment with a soft poke against his daughterâs belly button, âwere born. Six months is a big deal, so we make pie.â
âSo, did I have pie when I was six months old?â Deanna wondered. All this talk of pie was making her hungry for a bedtime snack.
John grinned at the memory. âSort of âŚâ
âDad, can I have pie now?â
John shook his head, leaning down to place a kiss on Deannaâs forehead. âTomorrow, Kiddo. Close your eyes and get some sleep. What does Mommy always tell you?â
Deanna smiled. âAngels are watching over me.â
âThatâs right. Goodnight, Deanna. Iâll see you in the morning.â
ââNight Daddy. Love you.â Deanna snuggled down in her blankets, tucking her nose under the soft fabric.
âGoodnight, Kiddo,â John whispers, tucking her hair behind her ear before exiting the room, turning the light off as he went.
*************
Mary waited for John to come, resting her hand lightly over her stomach. She could feel the new life growing inside her, and while a new baby would normally bring her happiness and joy, she couldnât keep the worry at bay. She and John were barely keeping it together with 2 children, throwing another one into the mix could be disastrous. She loved her husband, but sometimes her best time was spent alone with Deanna and Samantha, baking or playing outside or watching a movie.
John loved his kids, she knew that. Heâd love this one just as much. It was just ⌠marriage was hard. Living a normal life was hard, knowing what was out there. Sometimes it felt like living a lie. Some nights she lay awake, wondering what John would say if she told him about her past - her real past. Everything that happened with her parents, and demons, and ghosts, and vampires, and everything evil that went bump in the night.
Sheâd gotten away from all that, though. There was never any need to tell him, and there never would be. Mary massaged her belly, knowing it wouldnât be much longer before sheâd have to tell him.
They would make it work. Despite everything, they always made it work. She closed her eyes, hoping John would come to bed soon.
*************
John woke to the sound of his wife screaming. His mind cloudy with sleep, he stomped up the stairs, surging into the source of the screams, Sammyâs room.
The only thing he found was his daughter, awake and in her crib. Mustâve been a nightmare, he told himself, looking down at his daughter. âHey, Sammy,â he whispered, slightly lowering the crib railing to pull her out. âYou okay?â She made baby noises in response, which brought a small smile to his face. John went to pick her up, but stopped when he noticed a red drop on her bedding. He reached forward to touch the drop, and three more fell on his hand. Red. Red like âŚ
He looked up, and his world ended. Mary was above him, on the roof, and her stomach was bleeding. âNo! Mary!â
She tried to speak, but nothing came out. The blood on her stomach spread, and then she was alight. Flames spread out from her body, stretching across the ceiling. The flames consumed her, killing her. Taking her from him.
Beside him, Samantha was crying, and that was the only thing that made him move. He pushed himself up off the ground, not really knowing when heâd fallen down there. Grabbing Sammy up in his arms, he charged out of the nursery.
âDaddy!â Deanna gasped, the screaming having woken her as well.
John took the bundle of baby in his arms and carefully gave her to Deanna. âTake your sister outside, as fast as you can!â he ordered. âDonât look back. Now, Dee! Go!â
Deanna could see the orange light coming from Sammyâs nursery, but did as she was told. She took the stairs as fast as she safely could, clutching her baby sister to her chest. âItâs gonna be okay, Sammy. Itâs gonna be okay,â she assured her, leaping off the last step and running of the door. She had to set Sammy down to unlock and open the door, and then they were outside, running onto the front lawn. Deanna stopped for a moment, looking up at the nursery window. âItâs okay, Sammy,â she told her sister, watching the orange glow in the room. Sheâd heard her father shouting Mommyâs name, and hoped they were both okay.
Suddenly, John was there, scooping them both up in his arms and running across the lawn, away from the house. A loud crash came from the house, and Deanna looked back to see the shattered windows of her sisterâs nursery, flames pouring out. She couldnât see her Mommy.
They ran to Johnâs car ⌠well, John ran, Deanna held onto her sister and tried not to think about why her mom wasnât outside with them.
Soon the fire trucks and ambulances came, and the street was noisy and chaotic. Hoses were blasting water at the house, paramedics were checking them for smoke inhalation, friends and neighbors were standing on their doorsteps watching the scene before them with shock and pity.
Deanna knew nothing of what happened. She just leaned against her dad, sniffling in the cool night air, wanting her mom to come out of the house, wrap her in arms, and tell her she was okay because angels were watching over them.
That never happened.