Oh finally a free day!!!
A fantastically prearranged day of NOTHING!!
I just love taking a vacation day from work and making NO plans. I should do this more often, certainly if each time it could be a lovely spring day like today.
After a long, cold, snowy winter it feels like a gift is given when the sun is warm enough to go outside without a coat, to bring the bikes out of the shed.
Hubby’s arrived home from night shift with my beloved coffee and we have zero responsibilities to comply with today.
I love these days where family memories are made.
The girlies are awake, and enjoying having very relaxed Mommy and Daddy just hanging around the house.
I’m actually enjoying getting my 5 year old daughter S ready for her morning of Senior Kindergarten, having my 3 year old C  beg to go to school with her.
Holding my 3 year old, soothing her as she sobs deeply at the unfairness of life before school years.
Bye bye darling S , have a great day….no you’re not going to the sitter’s today, we will be picking you up from school, yes we’re REALLY home!
Yippeee!
Oh hurry Daddy is ready to go walk you to school.
Sighh, a sip of coffee while cuddling with my 3 year old C.
Bliss.
A very slow morning ensues, lovingly lazy interactions of a husband, wife and young daughter.
Plans are made for the afternoon when S returns from school.
Family time to be enjoyed, perhaps even a new experience or two as a hike is on the agenda.
11:14am the phone rings, it’s the babysitter.
Hello there.
 I’m a bit confused by the call as she knows the girls are with us today but it’s always great to have some chatty time with this woman who has become so special in our lives.
This woman whom we love, who is helping our youngest to perfect potty training before school in September.
The one who gets to hug my babies while I’m at work.
The one who they love as much as we appreciate her.
What’s that you say? You want me to sit down?
Fear….
WHAT’S GOING ON BABYSITTER?
Okay, there was a situation there this morning….Thank goodness the girls were HOME….one of the other little girls fathers arrived to speak with you?
OK, so not invested yet but waiting for it…
WHAT!!!
That 14 year old boy, the son of a “helper” at your daycare with Asperger’s ….yes I know him.
Wait, what did you say?
Little daycare girl’s brother told her father he witnessed WHAT?
OMG
14 year old boy….whom I was told was NEVER alone with ANY of the daycare kids, whom I’ve never seen alone with them…..
he touched the little girl?
Bile is rising in my throat, frantically I look for MY little girl ….gasping for air as hubby walks to me, concern in his eyes.
Ok so Father of little girl, the policeman is letting you know so you are prepared for the investigation…..that all the daycare children will be spoken to….that the parents should be notified?
Yes I hear you saying you’re not claiming that my little babies were ever left alone with Him, that you’re not saying that MY BABIES have been touched….BUT!!!
A loud ringing in my ears as I get off the phone, hyperventilation is just a breath away as I recount the story quietly to Hubby….Oh Hubby…..Dear Lord I am not prepared for this, HELP.
The cold sets in, my body doesn’t move unless necessary.
 I am still.

 Frozen in this fear as Hubby and I stare at each other surrounded by the sounds of our 3 year old gift playing.

Visions of TV talk shows where they say that parents often lead the child into recounting a situation incorrectly because of the way they phrase their questions, by their fears….
Deep breath.
“Hey C, come to Mummy for a sec”
“What Mama”
“When you’re at Babysitters, who pulls down your pants”
waiting, praying for her to say Babysitter and look at me like I’m crazy
“14 year old boy does when we play”
Time stops.
My blood feels cold.
Smiles plastered on our faces we stop the conversation and Hubby calls C over to play with him.
She is delighted.
My body remembers to breathe as my mind is filled with her smile, her laughter, the echos of what was our worry free day.
I call my sister, tell her, beg her to HELP.
She can’t change it.
I call the Children’s Aid Society, needing her to see someone who knows what this is, this horrific, dark thing which I don’t want.
I don’t want to ruin her by speaking about it with her in the wrong manner.
I CAN’T FIX THIS!!
I don’t know what it is.
We can go over there immediately, they will be waiting and will make sure C is comfortable, she will enjoy the experience I’m assured, she will not have any idea that this DARK thing is being discussed.
They will want to talk to our precious 5 year old after school as well.
Our lazy family afternoon won’t happen, we won’t be going hiking.
Will this be our family memory instead?
This post was written in response to the prompt from The Red Dress Club.  This week’s Red Writing Hood assignment is to write – fiction or non-fiction – about a time when you/your character took a detour. Where had you intended to go and where did you end up?