Chapter
Five: Old Flame
Mom had babbled herself to sleep. Her
head rested in my lap and, in this state, she seemed more like the woman I had
expected. But that might have been because she was quiet now and her eyes were
closed. I absentmindedly stroked her hair, trying to make sense of things for
myself. My brain refused to believe this was my mom, though it could find no
suitable explanation to explain away the evidence.
The door opened slightly spilling a
slice of darkness into the bright room. Someone on the other side dropped a
tray of food and seemed to wait. I bowed my head, pretending to be as fast
asleep as my mom. After a moment, the door slammed shut and the breath I hadn't
realized I’d been holding escaped.
A few minutes passed and then the
lights dimmed to a nearly nonexistent glimmer. As the overhead light dimmed,
the light outside the window did as well. So much for sunlight.
Mom moaned in her sleep,
readjusting herself in the cushioned corner. Again, I couldn't help but observe
how unexpected all this was. She was the one who was supposed to pet my hair
until I was asleep, or fuss over what was happening and how twisted everything
had turned out. Never, in my four odd years of imagining this moment, had she
ever been crazy—or anywhere close to it.
“You were supposed to let me be the
child,” I whispered, a tear rolling down my cheek.
Part of me longed for Drei. He
would know what to do, and he would help me find sleep. But he wasn't here, and
I was helpless to stop the thoughts and disappointments streaming through my
mind.
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