12:18 a.m.
I am on the computer closing up my dedicated sociological research on Islamic customs when I hear footsteps bumping softly down the stairs, a shuffle through the living room followed by whimpers in the kitchen.
Julie appears around the corner with frizzy, pillow-snuggled hair, clutching at her nightgown and looking very worried.
"Hey. What's wrong, babe?"
She mews pathetically. "Um. I'm looking for my mom." Pause, large, shifting eyes. "Do you know where she is?"
"Your mom?" I repeat back at her, amused. "I'm assuming she's up in her bed. Why, what do you need?"
"I want her."
I can tell she's not half-awake.
I get up and she turns around, back through the kitchen, the living room, feeling safe in the assurance that I am following right behind.
"Do you know where she is?"
"Well she's not down here, she must be in bed, honey."
"Oh. I went in there but she wasn't there. I looked, and I didn't see her."
As we walk up the stairs I take her hand; she lets me hold the limp sinews disinterestedly. "Well you just must not have seen her. Did you go all the way in the room? I know she's in there."
She wimpers out again, several more sounds, and veers unexpectedly back into her own bedroom. It's illuminated dull pink by the nightlight, a small fan buzzing quietly on the teal carpeting. The fan is losing its gallant fight against the damp humidity pressing itself into the corners of her room.
Julie crawls back into her new, big-girl, twin bed.
"Do you have Cheer Bear?" I coo to calm her down.
She nods, tucking the over-loved pink bear under one arm and straightening out her tangled, flowered sheets.
"Is the fan okay like that?" Babying her into placation.
"Mhm." She lays her head down on the pillow, oblivious to the room's heat and already falling back to Dreamland, a tiny, sleepy smile tugging up the corners of her lips. "Goodnight."
"'Night, babe." I turn to leave but stop at the doorway to look back at her. She is still smiling and opens her eyes to make sure I am still there. I smile back and then her eyelids drop closed. A faint laugh rushes out under my breath and I head downstairs to log off and shut the computer down.
At least she didn't wake up screaming this time. She's kinda cute when she's sleepy.
Julie appears around the corner with frizzy, pillow-snuggled hair, clutching at her nightgown and looking very worried.
"Hey. What's wrong, babe?"
She mews pathetically. "Um. I'm looking for my mom." Pause, large, shifting eyes. "Do you know where she is?"
"Your mom?" I repeat back at her, amused. "I'm assuming she's up in her bed. Why, what do you need?"
"I want her."
I can tell she's not half-awake.
I get up and she turns around, back through the kitchen, the living room, feeling safe in the assurance that I am following right behind.
"Do you know where she is?"
"Well she's not down here, she must be in bed, honey."
"Oh. I went in there but she wasn't there. I looked, and I didn't see her."
As we walk up the stairs I take her hand; she lets me hold the limp sinews disinterestedly. "Well you just must not have seen her. Did you go all the way in the room? I know she's in there."
She wimpers out again, several more sounds, and veers unexpectedly back into her own bedroom. It's illuminated dull pink by the nightlight, a small fan buzzing quietly on the teal carpeting. The fan is losing its gallant fight against the damp humidity pressing itself into the corners of her room.
Julie crawls back into her new, big-girl, twin bed.
"Do you have Cheer Bear?" I coo to calm her down.
She nods, tucking the over-loved pink bear under one arm and straightening out her tangled, flowered sheets.
"Is the fan okay like that?" Babying her into placation.
"Mhm." She lays her head down on the pillow, oblivious to the room's heat and already falling back to Dreamland, a tiny, sleepy smile tugging up the corners of her lips. "Goodnight."
"'Night, babe." I turn to leave but stop at the doorway to look back at her. She is still smiling and opens her eyes to make sure I am still there. I smile back and then her eyelids drop closed. A faint laugh rushes out under my breath and I head downstairs to log off and shut the computer down.
At least she didn't wake up screaming this time. She's kinda cute when she's sleepy.
posted by Angela at 12:17 AM
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