Page 136 of Meant for Mayhem

Mikko didn’t speak, holding Leena tighter.

“She broke her arm?” I asked, hating the word fracture. “How bad is it?”

“Not that bad, actually. These heal remarkably fast. We’ll put her in a temporary cast tonight to keep everything stable, then you’ll follow up with orthopedics in a few days for a more permanent one. Most kids are out of the cast in three to four weeks.”

“Does she need to stay overnight?”

“No. Once the cast is on and we’ve gone over the care instructions, you can take her home and be back to your regularly scheduled holiday plans.”

“What about pain?”

“We gave her some Tylenol already, and you can continue with that at home as needed. Keep her arm elevated when she’s resting, watch for any increased swelling or if her fingers start to look dusky. But honestly, kids bounce back from these faster than we do.”

I filed every word away while trying to think through everything I needed to ask. “And the fall itself—should we be watching for anything else? Head injury, anything like that?”

“She didn’t lose consciousness. No vomiting, and her pupils are equal and reactive. We’ll monitor her while the cast goes on, but I don’t see signs of anything else. It’s probably time to do away with the crib though, as terrifying as that sounds. If she climbed out once, she’ll do it again.”

Mikko still hadn’t said a word. He kept one big hand splayed across Leena’s back, his cheek resting against her hair.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself about this, okay?” Dr. Patel said. “This happens a lot, and I can tell how much you love her. She’s in great hands.”

I swallowed down the last of my fear, hearing her words even if I couldn’t quite absorb them yet.

The nurse returned with the casting supplies a few minutes later, and Dr. Patel got to work. “Alright, cutie. Let’s get this arm wrapped up so you can go home.”

Leena fussed when they started, a tired, broken sound that made Mikko’s jaw tick. I moved to the other side of the bed and brushed her hair back, trying to hold the last pieces of my fragile heart together.

“Hey,” I said. “You’re okay. Almost done.”

Her eyes found mine, and she stopped fussing.

By the time they finished the temporary cast, the Tylenol had kicked in. Leena’s eyelids grew heavier with every minute, her pacifier moving in and out of her mouth. She blinked slowly against Mikko’s chest, her good hand still fisted in his shirt. With each one of her shuttered breaths, Mikko’s shoulders dropped, like the two of them were regulating each other and breathing in for the first time all night.

The nurse handed me a folder of discharge papers. “Questions before you go?”

I glanced at Mikko, and he gave the smallest shake of his head.

“I think we’re good,” I said. “Thank you.”

Beckett stepped out to bring the car around. I gathered the diaper bag and the rest of our things while Mikko carefully stood, shifting her in his arms. She stirred at the movement, blinking up at the three of us with glassy, exhausted eyes. Then she turned her head, spotted me, and lifted both arms, cast and all.

“Mama.”

Every last shred of my walls came crumbling down, broken beyond repair with those two syllables. The word was soft, imperfect, and completely unmistakable, even around her pacifier.

Mikko’s gaze snapped to mine, something raw and stunned flickering across his face.

I dropped everything in my arms and took her, settling her against my shoulder the way I’d done a hundred times before. She sighed, a long, contented little sound, and tucked her face into my neck like I was hers to claim.

My throat closed so tight, I could barely speak. I pressed my lips to her hair and breathed her in—hospital soap and baby shampoo and the faint trace of Mikko’s cologne that always clung to her clothes.

“Yeah, baby,” I whispered. “Mama’s got you. You’re okay.”

Mikko’s hand touched my back, between my shoulder blades. He didn’t say anything, but I felt it in that single touch.

We were okay, too.

The automatic doors opened, and Beckett stood there, his dark hair dusted with snow. He walked inside and grabbed all of our belongings I’d dropped, then said, “Ready to go home?”