Free Running From Love by Maggie Marr Page A

info. He knew where she was. Now he just had to convince Poppy to stop running from love.

 
Chapter 8
     
    “You’ll be okay?” Mimi’s gaze roamed around the living room of the bungalow.
    The house was a complete wreck. Leftover breakfast dishes still decorated the dining room table and a waffle was still stuck to the highchair tray with maple syrup. Laura had been in a horrible mood all morning, hopping from one toy to the next and dragging out everything she owned from the toy bin in her room. Poppy had pried Hazel from Mimi so that Mimi could shower. The baby now grasped a fistful of Poppy’s shirt in one hand and a frozen washcloth in the other. This morning her gums had been bright red and swollen from her second tooth coming in.
    “I wouldn’t leave now,” Mimi grabbed her purse, “but the oncologist said she’d be there at exactly twelve-thirty, which probably means three o’clock in doctor time, but I don’t want to miss her. She’s impossible to get on the phone.”
    “Go,” Poppy said. Today she was tired and Hazel wouldn’t stop fussing from the teething. Drool oozed from Hazel’s mouth, her face was curled up into a horrible snarl. The only thing keeping her quiet right now was the frozen washcloth she was sucking on.
    Mimi reached out and brushed her fingertips across Hazel’s face. “My poor baby.” Mimi’s gaze bounced from Hazel to Poppy. “You’re sure?”
    “Completely.” Fatigue rolled through Poppy. From her bedroom Laura shrieked. Poppy fought a desire to lock herself in the bathroom with the lights turned off.
    “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Mimi hitched her bag up over her shoulder. She kissed Hazel, who still gummed the washcloth with a determined enthusiasm. Mimi rushed out the door.
    Laura ran from her bedroom. “Mommy forgot to say good-bye!” She darted to the front window. “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” She threw herself in front of the door.
    “I’m sorry, Mommy is already gone.”
    “No! No, no, no, no!” Laura yelled. Her feet kicked against the wooden floor. “I want Mommy! You give me Mommy!”
    Hazel, watching Laura with wide eyes, quietly sucked on her washcloth. The drool/water mix dripped down her chin and onto Poppy’s arm. She tilted her head to watch Laura, and as though she’d finally just understood what Laura had said, Hazel’s big, wide eyes went from Laura to Poppy. For an instant there was nothing … not a peep, not a sound, not a drop of drool, and then her mouth split wide and she let out a huge horrible cry.
    “You made Hazel cry!” Laura yelled and ran toward the window. “I’m going to tell Mommy. You made Hazel cry!”
    Giant tears rolled down Hazel’s cheeks and Poppy bounced her on her hip. “I did not make Hazel cry. You made Hazel cry because you’re yelling and acting like a spoiled brat.”
    Laura’s mouth opened, her jaw dropped, and her bottom lip started to quiver. A terrible half-cry, half-wail sound came from Laura’s lips.
    “No, no, no, maybe I can get Mommy!” Poppy slipped her cell phone from her jeans pocket and called, but the phone went directly to voicemail.
    “I want Mommy!” Laura yelled.
    “So do I.” Hazel squirmed in Poppy’s arms. A scream pierced the room. Poppy walked to the freezer and grabbed another washcloth. Numb those gums. Poppy applied the frozen cloth to the bumpy spot in Hazel’s mouth. The wailing stopped.
    Laura beat the couch with her doll, the doll’s hair flying about as she struck it against the cushions. “I want Mommy!”
    Poppy pressed her fingertips to her temple and closed her eyes. A thumping in the back of her skull increased as Laura beat the couch and yelled and Hazel cried in her arms. She’d gotten so little sleep last night. It was nearly noon and she’d yet to shower. She swept the wisps of hair hanging over her eyes back toward her ponytail. Had she even showered yesterday? She absolutely could not remember, how was that possible? She’d brushed her teeth