My Enemy

"I'm getting to the bottom of this," I told my husband as I grabbed my purse and headed out the door.

"Please, Addison, you have to calm down." He was obviously deeply concerned. "You're going to hurt the babies."

"I'll be more upset sitting here wondering what's up with her than I will be if I go on over there and find out for myself," I replied.

"All right," he conceded. "But please be careful!"

"You know I will be," I told him. At Cole and Lara's, I rang the doorbell and Cole let me in. When Lara came into the living room, I saw that her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"So what's the deal with hanging up on me?" I asked her.

"Oh, Addison, I'm sorry!" she cried. "I just couldn't deal with it anymore. We're the same age, and now you're gonna have four kids and I don't have any at all!"

"You've got Dylan," I pointed out.

"Temporarily," she replied. "But if Sydney ever comes out of her coma and recovers, she'll get him back."

"Well, you and Cole will probably have one of your own in a year or two."

"Yeah, I know." She sighed. "I guess I'm being silly, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you are," I agreed. "But I guess I can kind of understand. I'd probably feel the same way if the situation was reversed."

We hugged and made up, and then I asked her how things were between her parents. "Really good so far," she told me. "They've been going out together regularly for a couple of months now. I think they're trying to take it slow just to be on the safe side."

"And how's Jana taking it?"

"All right, actually. She never really knew our Dad, so to her, her stepfather's her Dad. She's still very close to him, and she's planning on going back to visit him soon."

I stayed and visited for a couple of hours and then went home. By that time it was pretty late, and Alexei was in the middle of giving Nevada a bath. "I'm sorry," I told him. "I didn't mean to stay that long. We got to talking, and time just got away from me."

"Oh, that's all right." He grinned. "We're having lots of fun, aren't we, Nevada?" She laughed and splashed him. He ducked but still got a little bit wet.

"So is everything OK with Lara?" he asked.

"Everything's fine now," I told him. "She was just feeling kind of depressed, but I talked to her and got her feeling better."

"She's lucky to have a friend like you," he said.

"And I'm lucky to have a husband like you," I replied.

All my co-workers were very nice and congratulated me on my pregnancy. Only Olivia ignored me and pretended I didn't exist, but that didn't bother me a bit.

One day I was at work and came upon Madison talking to a guy I'd never seen before. "Who was that?" I asked after he'd left.

"Just a guy I dated briefly a couple of years ago," she replied. "His Mom's in the hospital right now. He wanted to go out with me again, but I told him I'm getting married in a couple of weeks."

"How'd he take it?"

She shrugged. "All right, I guess. He's a nice guy, and I could tell he was really into me, but I guess I just wasn't ready to settle down yet when we met."

"So you broke his heart." I couldn't help but feel just a little bit sorry for the guy.

"Not really. I told him at the time that I wasn't ready for a relationship, and he said that was OK." Her eyes got a faraway look in them. "The sex was really great, though."

"Better than it is with Oleg?" I asked.

"Believe it or not, we haven't taken things to that level," she told me. "Oleg wants to wait until after we're married. You know how super religious he is. He told me I'm his first serious girlfriend, that he never even expected to get married at all until he met me."

"You mean he's never even..."

She shook her head. "No, he hasn't."

"No fucking way!" I couldn't believe that even an aspiring priest of Oleg's age would still be a virgin.

"I had a hard time believing it at first, too," she replied. "But I think it's really special. Don't you?"

"I suppose so." To my surprise, I felt a little bit jealous. "I've never been with a virgin before. I don't know how many women Jeff had before me. I was always afraid to ask. And Alexei..." Suddenly I wondered how many women my husband had been with before me, besides Sydney. Not that I'd ever ask him, but it was something I knew I'd always wonder about.

I was cuddling on the sofa with Alexei that night when I mentioned the conversation I'd had with Madison. "Did you know Oleg's still a virgin?" I asked him.

"That's not the kind of thing guys talk about together," he replied. "But it doesn't surprise me one bit. When we were very young, he told me he wanted to dedicate his life to God."

"I think Madison's really lucky," I remarked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He sounded hurt.

"I didn't mean luckier than me," I said quickly. "Only that she doesn't have to worry about any diseases, or some kid showing up on her doorstep out of the blue years from now, claiming to be his long-lost child."

"You don't have to wonder about those things either, Addison," he said gently. "I know I'm not pure as the driven snow like Oleg. All I have to offer you is my heart, and my vow to love only you for the rest of our lives."

"Oh, stop it, Alexei," I sniffled. "You're making me cry!"

"With happiness, I hope."

"Of course with happiness!"

He laughed and pulled me closer to himself, planting a big, sloppy kiss onto my lips. "Well, I'm awfully glad I have that effect on you!"

I kissed him back, a deep, passionate, open-mouth kiss, and he picked me up and carried me into the bedroom.

"Alexei, the babies..." I began.

"I promise, I'll be very gentle," he told me. He was. More gentle than he'd ever been before, in fact. As we slowly drifted off to sleep together afterwards, I wondered how in the world I ever could have compared him negatively to Oleg, or to any other man.

Oleg and Madison did get married later that month. Her sisters and best friend were the brides' maids, but Alexei and I were invited, so we went. It was at an Orthodox church, of course, and was beautifully decorated with red roses. I looked around and saw that a lot of the people I worked with were there, including, unfortunately, Olivia. I decided not to let her presence bother me and enjoy the occasion anyway.

Madison was beautiful as she walked down the aisle in her white gown, but I had to stifle a giggle as I thought about what a joke it was that she was dressed in white, considering that it was supposed to represent virginity.

As Oleg and Madison recited their vows to one another, my mind went back in time to my own wedding only a little over a year previously. Alexei must have felt the same way, as I felt his arm slip around my shoulders and hug me tight. I rested my head on his shoulder, and he kissed my hair.

Everything went fine until the reception. I was chatting with a fellow nurse and enjoying myself when I saw Olivia, who appeared to be struggling beneath the weight of a large box. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the floor and hugging my abdomen in agony.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Olivia cried. I saw that a couple of people were helping her up. "Silly me! How could I have not seen that?"

"Are you all right, Addison?" Instantly Alexei's arms were around me, helping me to my feet. The sharp pain was already subsiding to a dull ache.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Olivia tripped and hit you in the belly with that box she was carrying," Alexei told me. "Are you all right? Can you stand?"

"I think so," I said shakily. "But my belly hurts!"

"Oh God." Alexei turned pale. "I'm taking you to the hospital right away!"

"She did it on purpose," I said as we were on our way. "If anything happens to the babies, it will be her fault!"

"We can't just assume that," Alexei replied. "Accidents do happen, after all."

"Yeah, and denial is a river in Egypt," I muttered. "You know as well as I do that what happened to me was no accident!"

Alexei sighed. "I know. But there's no way in the world we'd ever prove it."

At the hospital they did an ultrasound, and to our immense relief, we saw that both tiny hearts were still beating.

"We'll keep you overnight for observation, just to be safe," the doctor told me.

Later that evening, Madison came by to visit. "What are you doing here, girl?" I asked her. "You're supposed to be on your honeymoon!"

"I just had to come by to make sure you're OK before we left," she told me. "I feel just terrible that you got hurt at my wedding! Olivia feels awful about what happened, too. She asked me to tell you once again that she's very sorry and that she hopes you're going to be OK." I knew that wasn't true, but I didn't want to spoil her honeymoon, so I didn't say anything.

Although thankful that the babies and me were all right, I dreaded returning to work, as I knew that I'd have to work with Olivia on some shifts and was terrified that she might try to hurt me again, and next time, I might not be so lucky.

The next time I ran into Olivia at work, she didn't say a word to me, but from the look on her face, I could tell that she was disappointed that I was still pregnant.

For Easter, we hid eggs for Montana and Nevada like we had the previous year. At not quite three, Nevada was much more proficient at hunting eggs this year, but of course her brother was a lot faster and found more eggs.

"Look, Mommy!" she said excitedly, showing me her basket full of eggs.

"Aw, that's nothing!" said Montana. "Look how many I found!"

"Montana!" I scolded my son, but his attention was focused elsewhere. I turned to see what he was looking at and gasped in wonder. Alexei held a beautiful piece of jewelry that was in the shape of an Easter egg. It was pink and covered in green leaves and tiny rose buds, and rested on a three-legged golden stand.

"It's a Faberge egg," Alexei told me. "Tsar Nicholas II gave his wife Alexandra an egg like this for Easter every year. This one's called the Lilies of the Valley egg. Look." He removed the top of the egg, and inside was a perfect red rose. It's edges were trimmed in gold, and it's leaves were made up of tiny rhinestones.

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" I gasped. I took it into my hands and cradled it, admiring the exquisite design. "Tsar Nicholas II had incredibly good taste!"

"We'll have to find a good place to display it."

"In the living room, so everyone who comes to visit us can see it!" I exclaimed.

Alexei frowned. "It's very fragile. You know how Montana and Nevada like to run around bumping into things in the living room."

"Oh, yeah. On the dresser, then." I felt just a little bit disappointed, but I knew that what he'd said was true.

Later we went to my parents' for dinner, where we found Aidan alone, looking desolate. "Where's Jana?" I asked him.

"We broke up," he told me. "She's gone back to stay with her stepfather. Excuse me, her ex-stepfather. She said she wants to cut all ties with everyone here."

"Even Lara?"

"I guess so. She didn't say anything about that."

"I'm sorry," I said, secretly wondering whether Jana's decision had had anything to do with the fact that her father was back together with Lara's mother now.

"That's all right," Aidan replied. "There's this really cute cashier at the supermarket I've been wanting to ask out for awhile, and now I finally can."

So much for true love, I said to myself.

I was at work the following day when I heard another nurse's voice raised in alarm. "Addison, look out!"

I glanced up just in time to see a surgical cart piled high with heavy medical equipment barreling straight for me.

I dashed out of the way just in time, the surgical cart whizzing so close by me that I could feel its breeze. "You did that on purpose! I saw you!" I heard the voice of the nurse, whose name was Eileen, and saw that the person to whom she was speaking was Olivia.

"You'll never be able to prove it," Olivia said snidely.

"Yes, she will, because I saw it too." I heard the voice of another nurse, Donna. "I'm calling the police right now!"

Olivia tried to run away, but Eileen grabbed one of her arms and I grabbed the other, and between the two of us, we were able to keep her from escaping. A few minutes later, Alexei and his partner, Andrew, arrived. In almost no time, they'd handcuffed Olivia and led her away.

"You can't prove anything!" she yelled. "I'm calling my lawyer!"

"Lawyer, schmawyer," sneered Eileen. "She's not getting away with it this time. There were too many witnesses. Are you OK, Addison?"

"I'm fine," I assured her. "Just scared me to death for a minute there."

"I'll bet!" said Donna. She and Eileen helped me to the employees' lounge, where they led me to a seat and asked if I wanted something to drink.

"No thanks," I replied.

"Are you sure you don't want to go home for the day?" asked Donna.

"Oh no, I'm staying for the rest of my shift." Determined not to allow Olivia to be the cause of my losing time from work, I returned to my duties a few minutes later.

Despite my fortitude, I still had a bad case of the willies for the rest of that day. I couldn't believe that Olivia hated me so much that she actually wanted me to lose my babies. What had I ever done to her? Nothing! Was it because of what had happened to Sydney? I'd had nothing to do with that! Was it because of Alexei? Did she want him for herself? If that was the case, then she must be even sicker than I'd thought she was.

I felt even more tired than usual when I finally got off work. The stress of what had almost happened to me combined with the usual fatigue, I supposed.

When I got home, I saw that Alexei had already put the kids to bed and was sitting up reading. He stood and walked to the door as I entered. "Addison! Are you really OK?" he asked as he embraced me.

"Yeah," I said weakly as I rested my head on his shoulder. "Just really tired, that's all."

"I was hardly able to finish my shift, I was so worried about you," he told me. "You can't begin to imagine how upset I was when your co-worker called and told me what had happened, and when I saw Olivia standing there looking so smug, it took all the self control I had not to slug her right then and there."

"Where is she now?" I asked.

"In jail, being held on five hundred dollars' bail," he told me. "Personally, I wish they'd just lock her up and throw away the key. I can't stand the thought of someone who tried to harm my wife and children out walking the streets."

"Five hundred dollars isn't very much," I remarked.

"I know, but since she didn't actually hit you, she can only be charged with a misdemeanor."

"But she's already tried to hurt me twice!"

He sighed. "Yeah, but that's how the system works. You can get a restraining order against her, though."

"That would make her even madder!"

"It would be better than doing nothing, and it would sure make me feel better," he replied.

"I'll do it, then," I told him.

He held me more tightly than usual that night, but even so, I had a very difficult time falling asleep. My mind kept replaying the traumatic event over and over again, imaging what could have happened.

Everybody was talking about it at work the next day, of course. Luckily I learned that Olivia had been fired from the hospital, but that only made me feel a little bit better. She still lived in the same town as me, and I had no way of knowing when I'd run into her again.

One day I was at the mall with the kids when I met up with a teenage boy and girl who looked slightly familiar and, to my surprise, realized that the girl was Cara, the teenager who'd lost both legs in a tragic accident the previous fall. She looked perfectly healthy now and was walking without a limp.

"Your kids are cute!" she told me.

"Thanks," I replied. "How are you doing now?"

"Much better," she replied. "Tony and I are here to rent his tuxedo and to get a formal for me. Our school prom is coming up soon."

"That's great!" I exclaimed. "It looks to me like you're getting around just fine."

"After much physical therapy," she told me. "I was really depressed for a long time, so much so that I didn't even want to go to PT, but once I got used to getting around on my artificial legs, I started actually enjoying life again."

"I'm glad to hear it," I said. "I hope you have a great time at the prom."

"Thanks," she said. She and Tony moved on.

"Mommy, what are artificial legs?" Montana asked me as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Sometimes when somebody gets hurt really bad, they lose one of both of their legs and have to have new legs made for them," I explained. "It's kind of like Darth Vader. You know how a lot of him is made out of metal? Well, Cara's still mostly a regular person just like you and me, but her legs are made out of metal, like Darth Vader's."

"Cool!" said Montana. "Can I see her metal legs sometime?"

"There are pictures of them in some books I have," I replied. "I'll show you when we get home."

I took them to the pizzeria for lunch and then shopping at the dollar store, where I found the cutest little cloth baby shoes as well as socks, bibs, blankets, pacifiers, and even onesies. I also bought a few toys and books for Montana and Nevada and some make-up and jewelry for myself. "Now I've got a gun just like Daddy's!" Montana chortled with glee. "I can't wait to show him!"

"He'll be home later this evening," I told my son. "You can show him then."

When we were inside the car, I turned the radio on and heard the news. "Two policemen are dead in an attempted supermarket robbery."

My heart sank as my hands gripped the steering wheel. Please, God, let Alexei be all right! I prayed.

I flew home as quickly as I could, hardly even noticing traffic lights and stop signs along the way. When I finally reached the house, my hands were shaking so badly that I dropped the keys three times while attempting to open the door. Once we were finally inside, I dashed to the telephone, where I saw that the answering machine's light was blinking. I played the message back to hear Alexei's voice.

"Hi, Addison, I just wanted to let you know that I'm OK. By the time I got to the scene, the robbers had already been apprehended, but..." His voice broke, and I heard him softly sobbing. "Earl's gone, Addison. Took a bullet in the heart and bled out."

Oh, no! I told myself. Earl had been one of Alexei's best friends on the police force and had saved his life more than once. I knew that my husband had to be devastated by his loss.

"Listen, hon, I'll be home as soon as I've taken care of some paperwork here at the station." Alexei had regained most of his composure. "Give the kids a hug and kiss for me."

"What's wrong, Mommy?" Montana looked at me with big, worried eyes.

"Something very sad happened to one of your Daddy's friends at work," I told my son. "There was a robbery at the supermarket, and somebody shot him and he died."

"You mean just like my old Daddy?"

"That's right, just like your old Daddy. Your new Daddy is really sad about it, so we're all gonna have to be especially nice to him when he gets home."

"OK, Mommy."

I put my purchases away and started dinner. Alexei arrived a short time later, looking more distressed than I'd ever seen him before. "Hi, Daddy!" Montana ran right to him and grabbed his middle in a fierce hug, and Alexei picked him up and held him as if he never wanted to let go.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry!" I went to my husband and embraced him. Nevada, not sure exactly what was going on but still wanting to be in on the action, ran to Alexei and hugged his legs. Alexei put his other arm around me and held me tight. We just stood there like that for a few minutes, none of us saying a word.

"I made lasagna," I said after awhile, knowing that it was one of his favorites.

"Sorry, but I'm not very hungry right now," he replied.

A somber atmosphere hung over our family for the remainder of that evening. I was expecting Alexei not to be in the mood that night, but I was wrong. As soon as I came to bed, he was all over me, covering me with kisses, and almost before I could respond, he was inside me, banging away. "Alexei, the babies!" I gasped, but he seemed not to have even heard me. Quickly he reached his climax, then let go, rolled over, and began to sob heavily.

At first I felt a bit miffed at him for having treated me so insensitively, but after a few minutes, I began to feel sorry for him. "Alexei?" I said, gently touching his shoulder. Right away, he turned to me and pulled me close.

"I just can't believe he's gone," he moaned. "I was talking to him just yesterday in the break room at the station. Said he was going to ask Lauren to marry him after work today. Showed me the ring and everything." He began to sob even harder, and I held him and stroked his hair and rubbed his back. "I'm so sorry," I whispered over and over.

The following morning, the kids and I were awake long before Alexei was. We were just finishing up breakfast when he shuffled to the table with blood-shot eyes. "I'll reheat your eggs for you," I offered.

"Don't bother." He sat down and began to shovel the food into his mouth, obviously not really tasting it.

"Can we go to the park today, Mommy?" Montana asked hopefully.

"We'll see."

"Please?" added Nevada.

'You and the kids go on," Alexei muttered. "I'll just stay here."

"Why didn't Daddy want to come too?" Montana asked as I was driving to the park.

"He still feels too sad about what happened to his friend."

The kids had fun at the park, and then I took them home, fed them lunch, and settled them down for naps. I walked into the living room, where I found Alexei staring dolefully at the floor. He looked up when I entered.

"I'm so sorry about last night, Addison." He came to me and held me. "What I did was absolutely inexcusable."

"It's all right," I told him. "I know you weren't exactly yourself because of what happened to Earl."

"It's not all right!" He let go of me and began to pace maniacally back and forth. "I didn't have to be so rough. I almost feel like I raped you, Addison." I saw the agony in his eyes, and it pierced my heart.

"You didn't rape me, Alexei. I know you would have stopped if I'd asked you to."

Earl's funeral was the following Tuesday. My parents babysat Montana and Nevada so that I could go with Alexei. In the vestibule, I saw a young woman who had to be Lauren sobbing her heart out. "I'm so sorry." Alexei went to her and embraced her, and she clung to him. "I loved him too, you know." He held her for a few minutes, patting her back comfortingly, and then we all walked into the chapel.

Earl lay eerily rigid and silent, dressed in his policeman uniform. Looking at him gave me the creeps. Working in a hospital, I'd certainly seen my share of dead bodies, but it's different if it's someone you knew.

As the minister talked about Earl's background and career and all the honors he'd been awarded by the police force, all I could do was stare at the tip of his pale, waxy nose and think about how it could just as easily have been Alexei lying there. I shuddered involuntarily.

"Are you all right?" Alexei whispered anxiously.

"Yeah," I whispered back. "It's just a bit chilly in here."

At last the service ended, and everyone filed past the casket for one last look at the fallen hero. Then the casket was closed and it was time for the drive to the cemetery. After the graveside service, Lauren began crying hard again and kissing the casket. My heart ached for her. I looked at Alexei, and he clasped my hand tightly as he led me back to the car.

Things were kind of depressing for a long time after that. Alexei would go to work and come back home and go about his business saying hardly a word. He almost never smiled or laughed anymore. I tried my best to cheer him up by preparing his favorite meals, renting movies I knew he enjoyed, and giving him frequent back rubs and foot massages. He always smiled and acted appreciative, but I could tell that his heart wasn't really in it.

I was beginning to wonder whether I should check into getting grief therapy for him when one day something happened that changed everything. I was changing a patient's IV when I felt it for the very first time. A tiny flutter, ever so weak, came from deep inside my body. Since I'd already been pregnant twice before, I knew exactly what it was right away and couldn't wait to tell Alexei about it.

I got off before my husband that evening so stopped by the child care to pick the kids up before heading back home. "We learned about the different kinds of seeds inside fruits and vegetables today," Montana told me. "But we didn't have any bananas 'cause bananas don't have seeds, do they?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "I've never really thought about that." I pondered my son's question as I drove home and made dinner. I fed the kids and fixed a plate for Alexei, but he didn't come home at the expected time. I was just finishing up with the dishes when he finally arrived about forty-five minutes late, looking flustered.

"Sorry I'm late, hon," he told me. "I was just about to leave when I had to go take care of a domestic disturbance."

"I hope it was nothing serious."

"Nah. Woman got mad at her husband and hit him over the head with a beer bottle. Left kind of a nasty bump, but in the end they kissed and made up and he decided not to press charges."

"That's good," I replied. "I felt the babies move for the first time earlier today."

I saw his face brighten for the first time since the loss of Earl. "That's great!" he exclaimed, gently patting my abdomen.

"Maybe it will happen again soon, so you can feel them too," I said.

Later that evening, he was sitting on the sofa watching television and I was lying with my head in his lap when it happened again. Quickly I took his hand and placed it over my belly. "Did you feel that?" I asked a moment later.

"I sure did!" he exclaimed. I saw that his eyes were soft with wonder and he pulled me close and kissed me. "Our own babies, from me and you!" He looked guilty for just a minute. "Not that I love Montana and Nevada any less, of course, but to me it's such a thrill that we're having these babies together!"

"Me too," I told him. "I hope they both look like you."

He grinned. "Well, I hope at least one of them looks like you!"

After that, my husband was back to his old self again.

As the days passed, the babies' movements became stronger and stronger. The school year ended, and Montana was promoted up to the first grade. On the last day of school he ran to me as soon as he got off the bus, his face full of excitement. "Look at my report card, Mommy!" he exclaimed.

I saw that he'd gotten all 'E's except for one 'S' in citizenship.

'Montana is a delightful child and a joy to have in the classroom', his teacher had written. 'Sometimes he forgets to use his 'indoor' voice or to stay in his seat and has to go to time out, but most of the time he's perfectly behaved. I wish that all my children were like him.'

"I'm so proud of you!" I exclaimed, giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "And your Daddy's gonna be so happy!"

Alexei came home several hours later, and I showed Montana's report card to him first thing. "This calls for a celebration," he announced. "Who wants to go to the water park tomorrow?"

"Me! Me!" Montana and Nevada shouted, jumping around excitedly.

The following morning, we awakened to the sound of rain pelting the roof. "Mm, what a perfect morning for cuddling," Alexei murmured as he pulled me close. Unable to resist the warmth and comfort of his arms, I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder. For a few short moments, we reveled in the luxury of one another's company, but then I knew I'd have to get up and fix breakfast for the kids.

"I wish it would quit raining so we could go to the water park," Montana grumbled as I poured his cereal into a bowl.

"How about I take you to the aquarium instead?" Alexei suggested.

"Hurray!" shouted Alexei, who loved the Living Sea exhibit.

"Nevada slide." My daughter looked as if she were about to cry.

"I know you like the water slides, sweetie." Alexei ruffled her hair playfully. "You can play on them one day when it's sunny, but it's rainy today. Don't you want to see the dolphins do tricks?"

Nevada looked undecided.

"We could stop for ice cream on the way back," Alexei offered.

Nevada grinned. "OK!"

We got everything together and headed for the aquarium. The kids began to cheer as it came into view.

First was the Living Sea exhibit. Montana's favorite part was the sting rays. "I wish I could catch one and hold it!" he said.

"It has to stay in the water," Alexei told him. "It would die if you took it out for too long, and besides, see that long stinger on the back of its tail? If it stuck in you, it would hurt really bad."

"Oh!" Montana shuddered and backed away from the transparent glass.

"They are beautiful to look at though, aren't they?" Alexei observed.

Next we went to see the loggerhead sea turtle, the seals and sea lions, and the penguins. Nevada laughed at the way the penguins waddled around. By that time we were pretty hungry. There was a snack bar inside the aquarium, but it was rather expensive, so Alexei and I decided to just stop at a fast food place on the way back.

"Ice cream, Daddy!" Nevada reminded Alexei.

"Let's eat lunch first, and then we'll have ice cream," he told her.

On the way back, we stopped at a McDonald's that had an indoor gym. Montana and Nevada were so eager to play that we had a hard time getting them to eat their meals first. After Nevada had jumped off her seat three times before she'd even eaten half of her hamburger, I laughed and let her go, and she ran for the ball pit.

The next thing I knew, she was grabbing at her throat, her eyes were bugging out, and her face was turning beet red.