Baby

Hudson looked at his wife, tears coming to his eyes.
    “Of course, my love, you’re right. She will love them.” And with that, she stepped back into his loving arms.
    ###
    As Hudson drove into Em’s town with Marne and the roses at his side, it was early morning, the overcast sky not yet willing to yield to the demands of the rising sun. They had driven up the night before, staying at a comfortable nearby inn so they could get an early start, wanting to spend as much time with Em as possible before they had to turn around and go home.
    Turning in the road to the modest brick group home, they were surprised by fire trucks and police cars with their flashing lights. Parking the car, they hurried into the reception area, encountering Mrs. Post, the housemother.
    “Mr. and Mrs. Hudson … I did not expect you so soon.”
    “Good morning, Mrs. Post. Why are the authorities here?” Sheriff Hudson’s tone reflected a passing interest, sure the incident was minor.
    “Well … er, perhaps you might join me in my office. I will ring for the nurse. She will have Emily join us there.” Hudson and his wife exchanged startled glances.
    “Wait a minute. What is going on? Did something happen to Em?” Marne gripped Hudson’s arm tightly, the roses threatening to slip from her hand.
    “Please, Mrs. Hudson. Relax. Emily just had a nightmare. Come. We can talk in my office.” Visibly relieved, the Hudsons allowed themselves to be ushered into the housemother’s cramped office. Settling Marne into an upholstered armchair Hudson stood behind his wife. Mrs. Post sat at her desk with her hands clasped, her tone, sympathetic.
    “Last night Emily woke up screaming. She seemed to be in the grip of hysteria. Calming her down took hours. She refused to sleep in her bed, forcing me to take her to my room where I made space for her in my bed. I hope that you do not find that presumptuous.”
    “No, no … of course not. Did she say anything about the nightmare?” Marne’s concerned voice mixed with confusion.
    “Emily actually does not admit to a nightmare, Mrs. Hudson. We just assumed her story arose as a result of a nightmare.” Hudson raised his hand as if to cut off Mrs. Post.
    “Please tell us exactly what my daughter said.” His unexpectedly hoarse voice drew startled glances from Marne and Mrs. Post.
    “Of course, sir.” Mrs. Post continued in hurt tones. “Emily’s story centered around the claim that a monster wanted to get in her window. She insisted she was not asleep. She said the monster stared at her and took a few swipes at the window before her screams woke us. When we entered the room, we did notice some gunky slop on the window, probably from a large bird smashing itself on the window pane. The fact that she is on the second floor convinced us she just had a nightmare.”
    “Why are the police and the fire department here?”
    “That is another matter entirely. This morning I happened to inspect the back yard, just looking for anything unusual in view of Emily’s nightmare. Oddly enough, underneath her window, I found a hole in the ground. It was not there the day before. The smell of sulfur seemed to rise from the hole. I dropped a pencil in and could not hear it land. So, I called the police. They called the fire department because of the safety issue.” Mrs. Post abruptly rose to her feet. She stared at Hudson, mouth agape. “Sir, are you okay?” Hudson’s legs went out from him, forcing him to grab on to the back of Marne’s chair.
    “Get my daughter in here, now .” Turning to Marne who sat with a shocked look on her face, he demanded. “Go pack her clothes; she’s coming home with us.”
    “Honey, what’s wrong? You are scaring us.” He put a tired hand on her shoulder. Attempting to force a lighter tone, he let his words silence their questions.
    “Marne, we will discuss this later. Please pack Em’s clothes quickly. We will send for anything else. I want to be out of here in the next twenty minutes.”
    “Mr. Hudson, this is quite irregular.”
    “I’m sure it is, Mrs. Post. I’m sure it is.”
    ###
    All the way back home to Newtown, Marne’s questioning pensive eyes weighed him down. She knew they could not speak of the matter in front of Em and would bide her time until they got home. So he better have a good explanation for her. At the moment, he didn’t. God knows, he cannot tell her the truth. So, he withdrew into himself the whole six-hour drive as Marne sang