#Chapter 219: Emergence

Olivia “Ow… Mommy!” I was a little girl, no older than six, laughing as I soared higher and higher on the swingset in our backyard. My mom had warned me about going too high, but I didn’t listen. Now, I wished that I had. In my enthusiasm, I lost my grip. Suddenly, the world was spinning as I was flung from the swing, landing with a thud on the ground below. The shock of the fall left me winded and tears filled my eyes. My knee and elbow burned, scraped raw against the gravel. “Mommyyyy!” “Olivia!” My mother’s voice, full of concern, reached my ears before I saw her rushing towards me, her long auburn hair flowing behind her. She was by my side in an instant, cradling my face and examining my scrapes with a gentle touch. “There, there, my brave girl,” she cooed, wiping away my tears with the back of her hand. She kissed my scraped knee and then my elbow, as if her kisses held some magical healing power. “All better?” I nodded, sniffling. With a strength that