CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE – WHINING CHILDREN, CRYING BABIES

Sophia, picking up on her brother's cues, immediately joined in with shrill cries of her own. Kayla, caught between a sobbing child and the incessant ringing of the doorbell, felt the first tendrils of panic set in. Taking a steadying breath, Kayla tried to quell the rising chaos. "Ethan, sweetie, it's just your mommy. There's no need to be upset," she soothed, rubbing his back in gentle circles. But Ethan was inconsolable, burying his face in the crook of her neck as heart-wrenching sobs wracked his small frame. Sophia continued her ear-piercing wails, feeding off her brother's distress in that maddening way only young siblings could. The doorbell rang again, more insistently this time. Kayla grimaced, torn between answering and trying to calm the hysterical children in her arms. "Kayla? Are you guys okay in there?" Olivia's muffled voice called out, laced with concern. Of course, she would pick up on the ruckus from outside. Mustering what little remained of her frazzled composu