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And now I can’t sleep.
How late is it? Ugh! 2AM?!
At least she sleeps like a brick. A perfect goth brick.
I was able to get up without waking her up.
Maybe some tea will help me out.
I made my way to the kitchen unbothered. While trying to get my mind rid of another bad dream I focus my attention on our little trinkets around the house.
The first is a mirror next to our shared bedroom.
My eyes let me see perfectly in the dark, and the first thing I notice are my scars, three claw marks on my left cheek. At least she likes them, I just grew accustomed to them.
My hair is much shorter than in our Nevermore days and it’s no longer dyed. I guess my scalp was getting too tired of the chemicals.
The gold cross is still on my neck. Mom’s last gift before cutting ties. Wednesday said I should get rid of it, but there’s some good memories behind it and I want them to turn into something positive.
I still find a new wrinkle here and there, but that’s just my vanity talking.
Well, enough of checking myself out. Now, for that tea…
The house we inhabit is rather small and old. I’m sure that’s something that appealed to Wednesday’s taste or maybe it was our combined effort to start anew away from our families.
On the hallway I see some framed pictures of the good times, and everyone that grew close to us. Friends, some family members, our own memories. I don’t know why I focused on one my brother sent me: it’s him waving while in the background there’s a trapeze swinger in mid-fly in some circus in Europe.
Maybe life has been feeling like that: going back and forth while avoiding hitting the hard floor.
At the end of memory lane, I finally hit the kitchen. I grab the dark kettle and fill it with water and some tea leaves. She prefers them as natural as possible. I let the mixture boil while I ponder a bit more.
I grab the cross hanging on my neck and can’t help to imagine what my mother is doing right now. She made it perfectly clear that she didn’t want anything to do with us and Wednesday doubled on that by the time she tried to enter our lives again. I still have good memories, but I’m done playing her games and trying to make her proud, not that it matters anymore.
I guess if there’s an afterlife we might have another chance. That seems like the only way we’ll cross paths again. How are the angels? They work as real estate agents or guides and are we all frolicking in the meadow?
I immediately look at our “coffee table”. It’s my tombstone and I cannot help but to grin every time I recall what Wednesday said the day she gave it to me.
“It’s the only way the vision gets fulfilled without you dying.”
Hurray for loopholes.
The kettle starts to whistle and that’s my cue to grab a cup.
I start hearing some steps approaching. They’re light and uneven, maybe from drowsiness. I pretend like I didn’t hear them and act surprised when the figure steps out of the shadows.
“Oh! Honey, you scared me!” I feigned a heart attack and got a giggle in return.
“Boo! Hehe!” The little beast tried her best attack posture. She still is too young to show her claws so her chubby fingers would do.
I left my mug in the counter and went straight to her and pick her up with ease. She snuggled on the crook of my neck while holding her octopus plushie.
“What are you doing up so late? Huh?”
“I was thirsty, mommy.” She answered while rubbing one of her eyes.
“Well, let’s fix that.”
I grabbed a sippy cup and filled it with water from the tap; Vega took it with both hands after I promised I would take care of her plushie, and she gushed it down in one swoop.
“Feeling better?” I asked and she nodded in agreement. “Ok, let’s get you to bed, shall we?”
“Mommy…”
“Yeah?”
“What about your tea?”
“Oh! You’re right!” I quickly grabbed the cup and with one movement drank half of it, unbothered that a few moments ago it was boiling. After that I pretended to be an airplane and I guided her back to her room across from ours, laughing the entire time.
I put her on her bed, and she quickly goes underneath her sheets until she makes herself visible above her pillow. I wish her a good night of sleep and promise to see her in the morning. She tells me that she loves me and gives me a kiss on the cheek, and my heart just swells.
I plant a series of kisses on her forehead and wave goodbye to her. I gently closed the door behind after saying one last ‘Good Night.’
I take a moment to myself to admire what I got and how lucky I am. My fingers caress the cross as if promising that this time it will all be better.
Finally, I go back to my bedroom and find Wednesday still asleep but with arms reaching for the empty space next to her. I gladly take my place with all the care in the world, and I plant a kiss just above her nose before joining her in her dreams.