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One night at about midnight Johanna finds her way into her parents’ room through the dark of the night. She was only 7 years old and a little girl who had suffered a nightmare.
As her little feet shuffle into the room, her mother awakes and moves in the dark, lighting a match to light the candle on her bedside. The light manages to wake her father.
As Johanna’s parents both adjust to the light they notice their daughter in the doorway, her frame slightly trembling and tears racking down her face.
Her father stumbles out of the old and worn mattress and bed frame and carefully makes his way over to his sobbing daughter. He kneels down to her level and gently takes her hand. “Hey, sweetheart. Did you have another nightmare?” The floorboards creek beneath him as he approaches Johanna.
With a small tremor, she nods in response as she wipes another tear away. Her mother sits up in bed watching the interaction. “Do you want to sleep here tonight?” Johanna’s mother asked. She sniffles looking in her mother’s direction.
Her father picks up Johanna as she nestles into him. Gently, he lays Johanna’s small body down on the bed next to her mother and gets back in beside her.
Her mother gently begins stroking her dark brown hair. A look is shared between her parents. They know she is not ready to talk about it yet- maybe the next morning, but not at the moment.
Johanna places her tiny hands on her mother’s pregnant belly. The baby would happen to be about 5 months along. Her little mouth mumbles the word “Baby.” Giving her a small smile, her mother nods. “Yes, dear. This is your baby sibling in here. You’re going to be a big sister.” A small, prideful smile crosses her dad’s face. “They’ll come about a month after you turn eight.” The tears have stopped from Johanna. She likes talking about the new baby. “How did the baby get in there?” The young girl innocently asked, patting the bump. Her parents share a look. Without missing a beat, her mother continued with “That’s a question for the daytime, not for when little girls are supposed to be asleep.” Johanna sleepily rubbed her eyes. Her mother knew that Johanna wouldn’t remember or care enough to ask again in the morning- that’s how seven year olds are.
Her father kisses her head and says, “I’ll take you to the forest tomorrow when I am done at the lumberyard, okay?” Johanna nodded eagerly. She enjoyed the special moments with her father when they go out in the forest- while she gets taught how to use an axe. “But for that, you need your sleep.” With as much attitude as a sleepy, emotional, independent seven-year-old can muster, she rolls her eyes- yet begins to comply.
Johanna, being the independent seven year old she is- taking the initiative- she places her tiny hand on her mother’s pregnant belly again to support herself up to blow the candle out that was on her mother’s nightstand before going back to the position between her mother and father she was before in the dark. “Good night, Mom. Good night, Dad.” Her parents tuck her in quietly bidding her a good night as well.