“Oh no! I forgot to set the lasagna out of the freezer!” She hurried to the freezer to pull out the biggest of the foil pans she’d brought home last week.
Savannah poked her head around the corner again. “Everything okay?”
“I hope so. What time does your dad usually get home on Mondays?”
“About seven or seven-thirty.”
Debbie checked the clock then read the 3 x 5 card taped to the top of the lasagna. It would be cutting it close, but it should get done in time.
She turned on the oven and shoved the lasagna in without waiting for it to preheat. After double checking that she had all of the makings for a salad, she hurried down the hall and checked on the boys again. Dallas and Cody had discovered the Xbox console hidden in the cabinet. They now played a video game while Noah jumped on the couch and cheered them on.
Normally, Debbie didn’t tolerate that kind of behavior, but she was relieved that the little boy felt at home and no longer cried for his mom. She returned to the kitchen again, intent on making the cookies she didn’t get to earlier. Thank goodness she had more than one oven.
Quite some time later, she heard Cody yell, “Ready or not, here I come.”
They’re playing hide-n-seek. How cute.
She just hoped they stayed out of her closet. That was one place she didn’t want trashed. Most of the rest of the house was pretty kid-proof.
She’d just slipped the last pan of cookies into the oven when Dallas and Cody walked into the kitchen with hands tucked behind them and heads hung low.
Debbie had seen that look too many times to count on her nephews’ faces. Her stomach plummeted. “Oh no, what happened?” All kinds of scenarios flashed through her mind from broken toys, to spilled soap, to someone bleeding.
“We lost him,” Dallas mumbled, and Cody nodded, looking like he might burst into tears any second.
“Lost who?” Then it dawned on Debbie that Noah wasn’t with the boys. Her stomach dropped even lower as a vice squeezed her heart, stealing her breath. “Where’s Noah?”
Both boys shrugged in sync. “We don’t know,” Dallas said at the same time Cody said, “We can’t find him.”
Savannah stepped out of the dining room wide eyed, wiping her brush on a cloth. “You guys were supposed to keep an eye on him!”
“We did, but he’s really good at hide-n-seek, and we can’t find him.” Now Dallas looked like he might cry too.
“It’s okay, boys,” Debbie said in a voice that sounded much calmer than she felt. “We’ll all work together to find Noah, okay?” She looked at Savannah who nodded and set her brush and rag down.
Debbie stepped toward the hall. “Noah, it’s time to come out now, buddy! The game’s over. You won!”
Thank goodness the door to the swimming pool is locked.
Debbie froze halfway down the hall as an icy chill swept over her. She pressed a hand to her roiling stomach.
Wait. I locked it this morning, didn’t I?
She turned to Savannah. “Help the boys search each room. I’m going to check to make sure the door to the pool is still locked.”
“You have a pool?” Cody asked with a shout. “Cool!”
Savannah grabbed Cody’s arm. “We are not swimming right now. We have to find Noah.”
Debbie hurried out to the garage as Savannah herded her brothers down the hall.
Reaching the door to the pool, she twisted the knob.
Locked.
Relief washed over Debbie. She grabbed the key from the small hook near the top of the door frame and unlocked the door. It was impossible for Noah to get into the pool area without the key, but she needed to be sure. She’d never forgive herself if something happened to him.
She spent several long minutes searching below the surface of the water in the pool and the hot tub before heaving a sigh of relief. She checked behind the stack of inflatable tubes in the corner, and under the lounge chairs along the far side, then she checked under the wicker patio set on the other side near the hot tub before leaving the pool area.
