I can feel the tears streaming from my eyes, over my temples, and into the hair that I had not managed to corral before leaving the house. The wind was blowing into my face as I strode across the parking lot, its whistling in my ears almost loud enough to drown out Will’s voice. Almost.

“C’mon will you slow down and talk to me!” He called at her over the noise of the wind and the traffic.

I whipped around, the car I’d been heading toward at my back.

“You don’t want me to talk to you right now, William.” I dash the tears off my face, careful not to meet his eyes or I knew the tears would come harder than ever.

“Cece, she had a little accident but she’s okay. She’s okay.” He was trying to be soothing, but I jerked out of his way when he reached out for me.

“Okay? Okay?! Our baby is in the HOSPITAL. I just talked to our daughter as she sat in that building behind you, and she was BROKEN!”

“Fractured - she fractured her wrist, Cece. You need to calm down, she’s fine. Please.” He reached toward me again, and I let him hold my hand for a moment, but that makes the tears rise again. Gently this time, I pull away from him, groping in my purse for the keys.

“She broke her wrist because you just had to get her that god forsaken hoverboard.” I murmur, half wanting him to hear my accusation.

I saw the hurt flair in his eyes before understanding set in. “Seriously? That’s why you’re so upset? Because it happened on the hoverboard? Shes 8, if it wasn’t this it would have been something else. She’s a kid, they fall and they hurt themselves all the time.”

“Not this kid.” I say vehemently, “This kid does not get hurt. This kid does not get so hurt I can hear her screams from inside the house. This kid does not get rushed to the hospital sobbing on my lap.”

By the end of my tirade the tears were back, and I let Will hold me this time. I let him pet my disheveled hair and I cried into his shirt until the fabric under my cheek was damp.

“I was just,” my voice hitches and I have to take a deep breath, “just so scared. I never heard her cry like that before.”

“I know sweetie. I didn’t exactly enjoy the experience myself. But listen to me.” He pull back and put a gentle hand on either side of my face, wiping away the tear tracks. “She is okay. She will be okay. It was just a fracture. She said it doesn’t even hurt right now.”

I nod within his grip, trying to convince myself to believe him.

“Now what were you rushing out here for? I know your mom is in with Katie but I thought you’d want to be there when the cast went on.”

“Oh, right,” I start searching for my keys in the purse again, “Katie wanted to show her Gram the new marbles she got for her birthday, and I think they are in the car somewhere.”

“Alright, let’s get them and then go back in. You might be the one freaking out out here, but I don’t think I could take being apart from Katie for very long right now.” I look away as I locate the keys, cheeks reddening with shame.

After locating the coveted marbles and relocking the car, I turn to Will and throw myself into his arms.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur, letting some of the stress of the past few hours leak out, and trying to pour a bit of comfort into him as well. He was hurting too, and I had to remember that.

“I know,” he says, and leaning back I gently kiss him, letting the simple touch linger before pulling back and smiling at him. Thank god this man was able to put up with me when my emotions got the best of me.

“Let’s go see our girl.” And holding his hand, I lead him back to the hospital; no less worried than before, but more calm and grounded. It was just a fracture, I repeat to myself, squeezing Will’s hand to keep the harried panic at bay. Just a fracture.