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“Oh, I hope he doesn’t wake Bella.”

“That’s why I came down,” Evie said. “She woke up and was heading to the bathroom. That’s the only reason I left to come down here. She said she’s hungry.”

“Are you?”

“I could eat,” Evie grins.

“Let me get something started. Take Slayer with you and go find something on TV that will keep Bella occupied, will you?”

“Sure thing.”

I turn on the oven. I already know what we’re having. I usually like cooking from scratch, but I knew I wasn’t going to be up for it tonight, so I’d bought a couple of family-size lasagnas and two loaves of French bread.

“Hi, Mama,” Bella yawns as she walks into the kitchen, Slayer following behind her. Why doesn’t that surprise me? “I’m hungry.”

“So I heard.” I reach into the fridge and pull out a bundle of grapes. I grab a colander and dump them in so I can rinse them. The kitchen is a good size. I pick up my baby and plant her on the counter next to the sink. When I’m done rinsing the grapes, I pull off a stem with ten or twelve grapes and hand it to her. “Try this to begin with. If it’s not enough, I’ll get you something else.”

“What’s for dinner?”

I look over at the oven and see it has reached three-hundred-and-fifty-degrees. “Lasagna.” I answer her as I pull the two boxes out of the freezer.

“Not the freezer kind,” Bella whines. “I like your kind.”

“Sweet Pea, I didn’t have time to make homemade lasagna today. It’s freezer lasagna.” I open the boxes and slip the casseroles into the oven.

“B-b-but I want your lasagna,” Bella whimpers.

I was waiting for this. Even having one of her aunts sleeping with her, even with her favorite dog following her around, and the class gerbil here to entertain her, I was waiting for this meltdown.

I go over and put my arms around her. “Do you know what?” I ask.

She doesn’t respond to my question. She’s definitely cranky and sad.

“Bella? Do you know what I think?”

“No,” she whispers into my chest.

“I think you and I were both really scared today.”

“The big balloon hit you, and your face is scraped. Aunt Evie said someone was trying to kill you. I don’t want you in heaven like my d-d-daddy.”

She bursts into tears.

Slayer whines.

I pull her off the counter and she wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. She’s getting to the point where we won’t be able to do this much longer, and I’m going to mourn that day.

“You cry all you need to, Bella. I’ve got you. I’m not leaving.”

“You’re hurted. Mama, I don’t want you to die. I want Uncle Dwake, he’ll save you.”

I wince. When her language skills regress, she’s really worked up. I rock her back and forth. According to Aiden, after going to Coronado, his team had to take off on a sudden mission without him and Jack. So, Drake is out of the country.

“He can’t be here, Bella. But Uncle Aiden’s here, and so is Simon.”

“I want Uncle Dwake,” she sobs. “He can do anything.”

“Uncle Aiden works with Uncle Drake,” I say, trying to reason with her.