Eden pressed her fist into her mouth to stifle a laugh. Mommy's soft sigh wafted from the kitchen as she told Daddy--again--not to use language like that in front of their daughter.
"But she's disappeared!" he said. "Call the police! Call the fire department! Call the clown brigade!"
"Speaking of clowns..." her mother teased.
Eden's body shook with silent giggles.
"Our baby is gone! All that's left is this shoe." He dropped to his knees by the sofa. "Wait, there's a foot in it."
Eden twisted around, pulling her leg in.
"Oh, no! Now she's completely disapp--"
Eden backed out of her hiding place and launched herself into Daddy's arms. He scooped her up and twirled her around. She closed her eyes as the air whipped past, smelling of Daddy's spicy aftershave. Much better than the cat pee from the old owners, but when she was spinning, the smell made her tummy spin, too. She didn't tell him to stop, though. She'd never tell him to stop.
Daddy tossed her onto the sofa. The bright red pillows scattered as she landed. He picked up one and tucked it under her. Then he bent on one knee.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I have to leave. I've got a big day ahead of me, helping a special girl celebrate her half birthday."
"Me!" Eden bounced on the cushions, singing, "Me! Me! Me!"
"Really? Are you sure?"
More shouting. More bouncing.
Today she turned two and a half. Last night, she'd barely slept, just curled up under the covers and stared at the mural Mommy had painted on the ceiling, a carousel of horses and swans and lions. Usually, if she couldn't sleep, she pictured herself on the black horse with the white mane, and she'd go around and around until she drifted off. That hadn't worked for a long time last night.
Then, when Mommy came to wake her up, Eden heard an owl hooting outside her window, and her tummy had started to hurt. She didn't like the owl--not in the daytime. It sounded scary, and it made her worry that Mommy and Daddy would forget it was her half birthday. But that had been silly. They'd never forget.
"Is it time?" she said, still bouncing. "Is it time?"
"It is. We have a big surprise planned. Do you know what it is?"
"No, she does not," Mommy said as she walked in. "That's the concept of a surprise, Todd."
Daddy leaned down to Eden's ear and whispered, "Pony ride!"
Eden shrieked. Her mother rolled her eyes and pretended to be mad, but she couldn't stop smiling.
"Let's get your hair brushed," Mommy said as Eden jumped into her arms. "We'll want to take lots of pictures when you get your big surprise."
"Pony ride!" Daddy said.
"I think we should put him on a pony," Mommy whispered in Eden's ear.
When Mommy finished brushing her hair, Daddy grabbed Eden again and swung her up onto his shoulders. "I think I'd make a good pony."
He snorted and pawed the ground. Mommy laughed and slapped him on the bum.
Then the door crashed in.
It happened so fast that nobody moved. Not Mommy. Not Daddy. Eden heard the crunch of breaking wood, and she saw the door fly right off its hinges, and she thought it was a storm like in the movie with the girl and her dog. Only it wasn't a storm. It was monsters.
Huge monsters, all in black, with helmets on their heads and masks over their faces. They swarmed through the broken door. They shouted and yelled and waved black things in their hands.
Eden screamed then, and Daddy stumbled back and Eden started to slip off his shoulders. Mommy caught her before she fell.
One of the monsters shouted. Eden couldn't understand him. Mommy and Daddy did, though. They stopped moving. Then Daddy backed up, arms going wide, shielding Mommy and Eden. Two monsters grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him to the floor.