“Such a good girl,” he murmurs and kisses the top of my head. “Can you tell Daddy why you were so scared now?”
I take a deep breath in and close my eyes, gripping onto his shirt. “You said you wouldn’t leave me before I fell asleep. Butwhen I woke up, you were gone, and I was all alone in the cage. It reminded me of when the fire alarm went off, and I didn’t know whether I was going to survive or not.” I whisper toward the end. “I don’t want to die. I don’t want to be put back in the kennel where I can’t get out if something goes wrong in the apartment. I don’t want to go back to the space station. I don’t want to be away from you because when I’m not with you, I don’t feel safe.”
I slowly take several deep breaths in and out, trying to calm my breathing once again. I feel the same emotions creeping back inside me as I think about him not being in the room when I woke up.
“I think it’s because it just happened recently, so please don’t leave me until I calm down,” I practically beg him.
“Shhh, Daddy won’t leave you alone for a while. I was so terrified as well when I heard that the fire alarm was going off and knew that you were home alone. I think we both are on edge right now,” he gently says. “So don’t worry. Daddy isn’t going anywhere.”
ELEVEN
One week has passed since the fire alarm incident, and me being left in the kennel while Daddy was gone. Daddy hasn’t put me back in the kennel since, not wanting to be separated from me for too long. I can’t bear the thought of being away from him, but I haven’t had to worry about that much.
Daddy has brought me to work once, but after that, he kept me close in the apartment, making sure to be there when I woke up and when I was awake. I have never felt this calm and safe.
“How are you feeling?” Daddy asks.
“Good.” I snuggle into his body.
He runs his hands up and down my back, and I let out a sigh of contentment.
“Daddy has to go to the office,” he hesitantly admits.
I pull my head and look up at him. “That’s okay.” I smile. “We can go to the office again.”
Daddy cups my face, and dread fills my stomach from him just looking at me, not saying a word. I know what he wants to tell me.
“This time, Daddy can’t bring you along. Some coworkers are going to be presenting some stuff that you won’t be able to look at,” he gently says. “Daddy has to leave you at the apartment.”
I grip onto Daddy’s shirt and take a deep breath, trying to keep myself together. Just the thought of being alone in the apartment makes me queasy.
“Daddy doesn’t want to have to do it, but this needs to be done. After that, we can be together again, and you can come to work with me,” he quickly says. “Do you want me to get Yamal to come stay with you in the apartment?”
I open and close my mouth several times, but ultimately close my mouth and eyes.
“I can get him to come over, so you don’t have to be in the kennel and alone in the apartment.” Daddy rubs his thumbs across my cheeks. “I don’t want to leave you, but I have to go to work to do this. I’ll be very quick. You won’t even know that I am gone.”
But I will.
I already feel that he is gone, and I don’t like it. The feeling of someone sitting on top of my chest, not able to fully get a breath in.
“Nora?” he gently says. “Do you want me to get Yamal to come and sit with you?”
“No, it’s okay,” I whisper as I open my eyes.
Daddy searches my face. “Are you sure?”
I nod, not trusting my voice.
“I need to hear your words,” Daddy reminds me.
“Yes, I’m sure. I’ll be okay in the apartment. The alarm hasn’t gone off since then, and it’s been a week since it happened,” I try to reassure him.
Even though it has been a week, it feels like it happened just yesterday. I still feel the same emotions that I went through a week ago.
“I don’t know if I should do this. Maybe I should ask them to push it back another week,” Daddy says to himself.
I shake my head. “No, you can’t do that. Just do it now. I really am fine.”
