Disclaimer: Not mine.
"Mom, calm down!" Emmalin yelled from the doorway, "I just wanted to go out with a friend but forget it! I'll just stay locked up in my room forever!" She stomped away before Claudia Joy could process the entire sentence.
Instead of trailing after her daughter, Claudia Joy stood in the kitchen for all of two seconds before her stomach refused to hold down whatever Michael had made her eat for lunch and she threw up in the kitchen sink.
The fight had escalated so quickly that Claudia Joy had no time to prep her answers, no time to calm her emotions or do anything except react. And that's exactly what she'd done: react. Emmalin had come home, asking questions about Paulo again and Grandma's vase and when Claudia Joy refused to give any actual answer she switched her questioning over to going out. By that point, images of Paulo swimming in Claudia Joy's mind, she didn't want her daughter anywhere out of the house. The longer Emmalin was locked up in the house, the better.
No harm would come to her then right?
"Wrong," Claudia Joy said before throwing up again. Harm had come to Claudia Joy in her own home, and by a friend nonetheless. A man she trusted and thought kindly enough of that she opened her home up to him. And how had he shown gratitude?
More vomit.
The noise must have reached Emmalin, even in all her anger and one flight above, because her teenage daughter came down the stairs slowly, "Mom?"
Claudia Joy closed her eyes, hoping to stop the tears and the queasiness. She couldn't look like this, not in front of Emmalin. She'd already grieved too much for Amanda in front of her—to see this now would be too much. "I'm fine," Claudia Joy responded before turning on the sink. She rinsed out her mouth first, swishing the water and praying for the foul taste of bile to leave her, before rinsing out the sink and splashing cold water on her face.
"Mom…"
"I'm fine, Emmaline. Go back to your room." Claudia Joy could see the hurt on Emmalin's face instantly. The poor girl had only been worried about her and now Claudia Joy was being cold and rude. Emmalin didn't deserve that. "Sweetheart, I—"
"Whatever," was Emmalin's response before she headed back upstairs and slammed the door behind her.
Claudia Joy ran a hand through her hair and tried to calm herself down. She looked to the kitchen in hopes of finding a distraction—but the house was spotless. Her phone. Surely someone had texted her, called her, asked her to do something.
And there it was: Joan's back in surgery. And that was sent nearly thirty minutes ago now.
Claudia Joy took a breath and headed upstairs. She had to change, but she also wanted Emmalin out of this house. Until that bastard was out of the country, Emmalin was not to be left alone. "Em, honey…" she called softly through the door.
"Go away!"
Claudia Joy clenched her jaw before regaining composure, "Joan's back in surgery and I'm heading to the hospital—I can drop you off at Jamie's if you want."
Silence. A few heartbeats and finally the door opened. "That'd be great."
Claudia Joy changed and drove Emmalin to her friend's. The car ride was quiet, but Claudia Joy selfishly accepted this as opposed to more questions. When she dropped her daughter off the goodbye was silent, but just as Emmalin was about to close the door she spoke. "I hope Colonel Burton is okay."
Claudia Joy offered a small smile, "Me too."
A/N: And those are the only scenes I have left in mind. Anyone want to see anything else? Let me know!