Sweetest Dreams

Emily  coughed into the crook of her elbow for what felt like the millionth  time that day. She had been sick for weeks now but still she carried on,  doing all the things a good wife does. She knew the painful  consequences if everything wasn’t perfect.

He’d been coming in later than normal the last few weeks. These days  he was barely home in time to tuck Sadie in, something she could always  rely on him to do before, even in the worst of times. Which is, of course,  why her little girl loved her daddy so much. All she ever saw was the  doting father that read her bedtime stories and who drank the overly  sweet chocolate milks that she made for him every night. The kid  wouldn’t go to bed until daddy had finished his treat.

Except it was a lie, just like everything to do with that man was.  Emily drank the powdery concoction whenever Sadie was distracted; she  didn’t know her daddy was lactose intolerant. The truth would break her heart.

Emily sighed as she wiped the kitchen bench. Thankfully, she could rest soon, plus her doctor’s appointment was tomorrow. This flu was  getting worse, not better. She grabbed the tin of chocolate powder to put it away. When she  shook it lightly to see if it was time to buy more, the tin rattled as  if something was inside. As Emily opened the lid and peered inside at a small plastic bottle, she felt lightheaded. The skull and crossbones on  the bottle glared up at her. Maybe Sadie had understood more than Emily  ever realised.

 

-Natalie Christensen