Emily was the last one to leave the room. She did not look away from her daughter even after the doctors left and Leah fell asleep.
Her husband and her eldest son had left. But she could not look away from her daughter who had faced A substantial amount of trauma that had been buried underneath that smile and shy giggles.
Emily placed her fingers over her lips to muffle the cry. How could she not see past that? Of course, the trauma was going to be there. It was stupid to assume that every thing was going to be as it was before.
She got up from the chair attached to the study table before reaching the bed and settling beside her daughter. She reached over and touched her cheek.
"I am so sorry, baby." She sniffed, "so sorry."
She should have arranged for a therapist the day Leah woke up in the hospital itself. She had delayed it and the inevitable had happened. The anxiety attack was just the beginning.
"Mom?"