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“Tisha!” Gigi whimpers, hands scrabbling to grab her sheets. She’d been dreaming about– about, um…
She can’t remember, now, but it was scary, and she’s normally a big girl, and can sleep alone in her big-girl bed, but right now she needs Tisha. She can be a big girl and walk to her room, right?
Picking up her blanket, something soft and pastel blue that normally never leaves her room ‘cause she doesn’t want anyone to know she likes something so babyish, she sits up and hugs it close for just a second. It’s probably okay to bring it now. She thinks she might need it.
Gigi wraps it around her shoulders, and it falls just to her knees, past her sweater that was a gift from Shelly, yellow with a gachapon embroidered on the hem – and thumbholes! She doesn’t hang out with Shelly all that often, but she’s glad to have something from her. Makes her want to take something of hers less, anyway. Tisha helps her with that, too. The taking-things-thing.
Tisha. She needs to get to her room. She quietly stands up, holding the ends of her blanket to her chest with one hand and pushing her door open with the other. Tisha’s room is at the other end of the hallway, and Gigi walks a bit faster than she means to, but she needs her.
She makes it to her room and opens her door, crawling up next to Tisha in bed – who’s awake before she can even say anything.
“Gigi?” Tisha asks, seemingly immediately awake, and Gigi curls her legs up to her chest, the blanket over them.
“Um. Hi,” She says, ‘cause now she’s here, but she doesn’t know how to ask for, how to say… “I kinda-maybe had a bad dream and jus’ wanted to come and see you? If that's okay?” She manages, then flushes, because that's so embarrassing. She’s bigger than crawling to her– to her caregiver when she has a scary dream.
Tisha’s eyes soften, and she sighs, but Gigi doesn’t think it's in a mean way. “Oh, honey. It’s okay. Come here.” She says, and then Tisha’s putting her arms around her, over her blanket. Gigi can’t help it, she sniffles, and she feels the corners of her eyes get wet.
“It… I woke up, and I was scared.” She says, and Tisha nods kindly, probably because that's how she is. Kind.
Tisha cups her face, wipes her tears with her thumbs “Thank you for coming to me, sweetheart. That must've been hard, but you were good and came to see me.” She pets her hair, and Gigi would normally complain about her messing up her hairstyle, but it's late, and it feels kinda nice.
“Thank you,” She says, and untangles herself from in Tisha’s arms, takes her blanket off and lets it fall behind her before she crawls into Tisha’s lap. She’s normally too big for this, too, but she really just wants hugs right now.
“Of course.” Tisha says, and strokes Gigi’s hair, the back of her neck, her sides which tickle and make her giggle without her meaning to, down her arms. “My good girl.”
Gigi flushes red at the praise, but Tisha’s saying it, so it's probably true.
“Would you like to sleep in my bed for the rest of the night, then?” Tisha asks her, and Gigi nods earnestly. The scary dreams can’t get her when she’s with Tisha.
She lets Tisha tuck her in, watches as she puts her big blanket over the both of them since Gigi has her own blanket clutched in her fists. Tisha kisses her forehead, too, causing her to giggle again. Tisha can be so silly, even if she normally seems so serious.
“Goodnight, Gigi. Get some rest, and I’ll make pancakes in the morning for you, okay?” Gigi’s eyebrows shoot up at that. Pancakes! She needs to get super good sleep, then.
“Okay! I will! Goodnight, Mama!”
She isn’t sure why Tisha’s face turns all sappy at that, but maybe she’s just too sleepy. She yawns and brings her blanket closer, and falls asleep within minutes, not keeping her eyes open long enough to see Tisha smile at her.