Liam crossed his arms. „Are you serious? What is that supposed to be?” He was in the equipment room of Mission Force and stared at something that looked like a 5-year old built it together. He turned to one of the men in lab coats. “Does this work at all?”
“Well, we’re currently still trying to-“
“Listen, buddy, this is never going to work. My daughter Jane, who is almost two years old, could design this better than you. Why are there so many amateurs? Geez, this is-“ He was interrupted by a familiar beep that he hadn’t heard in a while.
Oh no. This wasn’t good.
He quickly ran to his bag and realised Jo had pressed the emergency button of the bracelet he had made for her. Maybe one of the twins had accidently pressed it. He hoped it wasn’t really an emergency, but he couldn’t waste any time and stormed to the phone.
Pick up, pick up!
He tried to stay calm, but the thought that one of his girls was in danger, maybe even all three, made him worry like crazy.
“Liam?”, a weak voice came from the other line.
“Jo! Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“Just come home, please.”
“Are you hurt? Or one of the girls?”
“No, just hurry up. It’s my mother…”
Liam knew that something bad must have happened between Jo and her mother, so he didn’t hesitate anymore, promised Jo to be home as soon as possible, grabbed his bag and stormed out of the equipment room.
Meanwhile Jo managed to calm down her daughters while telling them a few stories, mostly fairy tales. It calmed her down as well, and every time she heard Elizabeth either yelling or banging on the door, she startled for a moment but then quickly continued telling stories so that the girls wouldn’t notice how scared their mother was. They had to think that everything was all right.
“Okay, I’m here!” Liam ran into the living room and saw his three J’s in the play corner.
“Daddy!” Jane jumped up and ran to her dad, something she always did when she saw him. He lifted her up, but he was more concerned about Jo right now because she was pale like a sheet.
“What happened?”
“My mother visited us unannounced, and then she…oh God, it was so scary!”
“What was scary? What did she do?”
“She had a complete freak out, telling me that you were the antichrist and the girls were the offspring of the devil and that she should have drowned them and she started to grab Jill and-“
“She what?!” Liam didn’t want to shout because he didn’t want to scare his daughters but he could barely stay calm.
“It was so horrible, Liam. I mean, I have seen her freaking out before, but today…it was never that bad. When she shook Jill, I had to do something but I couldn’t think straight, I was so scared of her at that moment, so I locked her in the guest bathroom, and then I called you.”
“Wait, your mother is still locked up in the guest bathroom?”
Jo nodded. “I just didn’t know what to do.”
Normally Liam would have laughed at the thought of Elizabeth being locked up in a bathroom, but this situation wasn’t funny at all. He was furious for what she did to his girls.
“Are you okay, Cupcake?” Liam looked at Jill who leaned next to her mum.
“Yes, Daddy, but Grandmother scares me.”
Liam took a deep breath. “Jo, you’re going to take the girls to one of the teachers. I think Ellen mentioned she wouldn’t be here this weekend, but James is probably here, the girls have to be kept away from this situation. I’ll call an ambulance, someone has to take your mother to a mental institution for everyone’s safety.”
Jo nodded weakly and got up, taking Jill’s hand. “Okay.”
Before she left with the girls, Liam planted a kiss on her forehead. “It’s going to be okay”, he said quietly. She looked at him one last time, then she left the flat with the girls and walked to the teachers’ house. She knocked on James’ door. When he opened it, he could immediately see that something was wrong.
“Jo, are you okay? You look sick.”
“I’m okay, but something came up. It’s just…my mother was…difficult.” She didn’t need to explain more, James understood. “I know it’s Sunday and your day off, but I would be so grateful if you could take the girls for an hour or so until things are cleared up.”
“That’s no problem at all, of course I’ll take them.” He smiled friendly at her. “Take as much time as you need, I don’t have any plans today. This is actually nice, having some company of two lovely ladies…” He looked down at the little redheads, and Jane let go off mummy’s hand and grabbed his instead. She looked up to him while she held his hand tightly.
“Thank you so much. I’ll make sure you’ll get another day off and-“
“Don’t worry about it, Jo. Just let me know if I can help you with anything else.”
She smiled weakly. “Thank you.” She knelt down to kiss the twins. “You two stay a bit with James, okay?”
They nodded, Jane almost a little too eager.
“Okay. I love you.”
“Love you, Mummy!”, they said back. Jo smiled one last time at James and her daughters, then she hurried back, hoping the ambulance would come soon.
“Well, we’re currently still trying to-“
“Listen, buddy, this is never going to work. My daughter Jane, who is almost two years old, could design this better than you. Why are there so many amateurs? Geez, this is-“ He was interrupted by a familiar beep that he hadn’t heard in a while.
Oh no. This wasn’t good.
He quickly ran to his bag and realised Jo had pressed the emergency button of the bracelet he had made for her. Maybe one of the twins had accidently pressed it. He hoped it wasn’t really an emergency, but he couldn’t waste any time and stormed to the phone.
Pick up, pick up!
He tried to stay calm, but the thought that one of his girls was in danger, maybe even all three, made him worry like crazy.
“Liam?”, a weak voice came from the other line.
“Jo! Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“Just come home, please.”
“Are you hurt? Or one of the girls?”
“No, just hurry up. It’s my mother…”
Liam knew that something bad must have happened between Jo and her mother, so he didn’t hesitate anymore, promised Jo to be home as soon as possible, grabbed his bag and stormed out of the equipment room.
Meanwhile Jo managed to calm down her daughters while telling them a few stories, mostly fairy tales. It calmed her down as well, and every time she heard Elizabeth either yelling or banging on the door, she startled for a moment but then quickly continued telling stories so that the girls wouldn’t notice how scared their mother was. They had to think that everything was all right.
“Okay, I’m here!” Liam ran into the living room and saw his three J’s in the play corner.
“Daddy!” Jane jumped up and ran to her dad, something she always did when she saw him. He lifted her up, but he was more concerned about Jo right now because she was pale like a sheet.
“What happened?”
“My mother visited us unannounced, and then she…oh God, it was so scary!”
“What was scary? What did she do?”
“She had a complete freak out, telling me that you were the antichrist and the girls were the offspring of the devil and that she should have drowned them and she started to grab Jill and-“
“She what?!” Liam didn’t want to shout because he didn’t want to scare his daughters but he could barely stay calm.
“It was so horrible, Liam. I mean, I have seen her freaking out before, but today…it was never that bad. When she shook Jill, I had to do something but I couldn’t think straight, I was so scared of her at that moment, so I locked her in the guest bathroom, and then I called you.”
“Wait, your mother is still locked up in the guest bathroom?”
Jo nodded. “I just didn’t know what to do.”
Normally Liam would have laughed at the thought of Elizabeth being locked up in a bathroom, but this situation wasn’t funny at all. He was furious for what she did to his girls.
“Are you okay, Cupcake?” Liam looked at Jill who leaned next to her mum.
“Yes, Daddy, but Grandmother scares me.”
Liam took a deep breath. “Jo, you’re going to take the girls to one of the teachers. I think Ellen mentioned she wouldn’t be here this weekend, but James is probably here, the girls have to be kept away from this situation. I’ll call an ambulance, someone has to take your mother to a mental institution for everyone’s safety.”
Jo nodded weakly and got up, taking Jill’s hand. “Okay.”
Before she left with the girls, Liam planted a kiss on her forehead. “It’s going to be okay”, he said quietly. She looked at him one last time, then she left the flat with the girls and walked to the teachers’ house. She knocked on James’ door. When he opened it, he could immediately see that something was wrong.
“Jo, are you okay? You look sick.”
“I’m okay, but something came up. It’s just…my mother was…difficult.” She didn’t need to explain more, James understood. “I know it’s Sunday and your day off, but I would be so grateful if you could take the girls for an hour or so until things are cleared up.”
“That’s no problem at all, of course I’ll take them.” He smiled friendly at her. “Take as much time as you need, I don’t have any plans today. This is actually nice, having some company of two lovely ladies…” He looked down at the little redheads, and Jane let go off mummy’s hand and grabbed his instead. She looked up to him while she held his hand tightly.
“Thank you so much. I’ll make sure you’ll get another day off and-“
“Don’t worry about it, Jo. Just let me know if I can help you with anything else.”
She smiled weakly. “Thank you.” She knelt down to kiss the twins. “You two stay a bit with James, okay?”
They nodded, Jane almost a little too eager.
“Okay. I love you.”
“Love you, Mummy!”, they said back. Jo smiled one last time at James and her daughters, then she hurried back, hoping the ambulance would come soon.