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The room was homey but didn't feel like hers. Someone else's idea of home with its neatly made bed, a quilt folded on the end, a wooden bedside table lit up by a flowery lamp. It had been so long since Layla had slept outside of her cluttered little nest, tucked away from the rest of the world. She watched closely from the bedroom window as the people said goodnight to each other before going to their own homes. It was like watching a movie about people from before the walkers, some small town acting totally normal. No threats to their lives, no walls around them, just people going to bed and getting ready for another great tomorrow. The whole thing sent shivers up her spine.
Layla knew what Aaron was trying to do, asking her to babysit and stay the night. For the past two months someone had been leaving little packages of food and supplies in her room while she was at school. At first she'd tried to catch them in the act, take a different way home, stay home from school, but they always managed to evade her. It was all incredibly sappy and it didn't take long her her to suspect Aaron; now out of the blue he wanted her to babysit knowing she'd never done that before in her life. He'd always been on her- and Daryl- about joining in with the community. There was no way she was going to be part of the play pretend community and she'd been sure to tell Aaron that when she'd accepted the job.
Behind her the door creaked and Layla could see a small blue eye watching her from the dark hallway
"you spying on me Gracie?" The door swung open and a little girl in pink pajamas shuffled in eyes darting between Layla and the floor. "What's wrong Grace-face?" Shuffling up to the bed Gracie perched herself on the edge still unable to look Layla in the eyes
"I miss my dad, usually it's miss Cheryl that stays with me when dad has to work," pausing Gracie glanced up at Layla again "and she tells stories, and tucks me in, and- I just don't know if my dad told you about all of that." Chewing the inside of her cheek Layla fought to keep her face still and her tone kind. Not letting the voice in her head that thought Gracie was too old for all that to speak for her.
"So- you want a bedtime story? Before being tucked in to sleep?" Cheeks flushing Gracie swung her legs, beginning to regret trying to talk to the older girl
"maybe you could go get miss Cheryl?" Raising an eyebrow Layla nudged Gracie's shoulder with her elbow
"you think I can't tell you a bedtime story?" She'd been joking but Gracie's face flushed a deep red and she jumped up to her feet like she'd done something wrong. Layla'd never known the girl was so skittish around her. "Hey, just chill out. I'm gonna tuck you in, all snug as a bug in a rug. Then I'll tell you the best damned bedtime story you ever heard, put you right to sleep." Eye's wide Gracie seemed to freeze in place; reaching for her hand Layla stood and gently guided her back to her bedroom trying to ignore the knots twirling around her stomach. As Gracie began to crawl under her covers Layla scrambled for a story to tell her, willing herself to remember any kind of fairytale or legend she'd heard. Neither Brandy or Daryl had been all that good at bedtime stories.
Sitting up right Gracie looked at her with unsure eyes like Layla was suddenly going to implode or start yelling at her
"Well- lay down I guess," Layla told her, making a shooing motion with her hand. When she sank down onto the pillow Layla pulled the comforter up to Gracie's chin and patted the blanket on either side of her eliciting a very confused and disappointed expression. "And now a story- about- a little girl. And she climbed this mountain; it was a big mountain with lots of twist and turns to it. She thought she was going to get lost before she got to the top but she didn't. She made it and there was even treasure up there that she wanted to take home."
Face squished against her pillow Gracie was watching Layla with undivided attention. It was a surprise but Layla continued like she wasn't flying by the seat of her pants.
"Before she could go home though this big, mean, ugly looking troll found her and wanted the treasure for himself. He let out a huge roar that smelled like dead fish and picked her up. Just as he was about to throw her off of the mountain though, her father who was a knight came in and punched the troll in the face. He'd followed her up the mountain knowing that she was going to get herself into big trouble. He punched and punched the troll until it lost its balance and it fell off the mountain instead. And then-" Gracie's eyes were starting to fade, eyelids getting heavier "then they went home and had a really good dinner together that they were able to buy with the treasure. The end."
It had been a short story with a rather lame ending but it seemed to have done the trick for Gracie; slowly Layla tried to shift herself off the bed but Gracie's eyes popped open
"will you stay? Just for a little bit?" The voice wanted to tell her no, that she needed to grow up. Instead she eased herself back down and laid awkwardly next to Gracie not wanting to let herself relax. Her head sank down into the pillow and her hand rested against the soft material of the comforter. As she lay there trying to think of when Aaron would be back and when she could leave she had a sudden thought of how good the laundry soap smelled. She wanted to ask Aaron where he got it, and the world around her began to fade.
By the time Aaron got home he could feel the bags under his eyes like he had weights under his skin. It had been hard to do but Aaron wanted to be home before the morning, before either of the girls woke up. Easing the front door shut as quietly as he could he wondered if he should check on Layla or Gracie first. Layla's room was closest so he crept over and peered through the open door. Seeing an empty, neatly made bed Aaron's stomach dropped; rushing to Gracie's room he pushed the door open and clutched at his chest. Sound asleep, curled up together, Gracie and Layla both looked peaceful. It was too tempting, too sweet of a moment. Reaching into his backpack Aaron pulled out his camera to take a picture. The shutter clicked and Layla opened her eyes to glare at him
"what the hell Aaron?" She mumbled sleepily
"sorry, I'm sorry, I'm just going to bed now." He turned for the door but stopped before leaving the room "you know I could use a babysitter more often, miss Cheryl is having a hard time with the back and forth." Layla looked at dead to the world Gracie and then back to Aaron
"I could do that- I guess." Holding back a smile Aaron nodded
"pay you with room and board maybe?" It took so long for her to reply that Aaron began to worry that he'd ruined his plan
"I guess so. Good night."