Lola laid her head on her down pillow, drumming her fingers lightly on her chest, and stared at the ceiling.
The clock on the bedside table read 11:56...just before midnight, and it’s soft moonlight glow bathed the quilt on her bed. The breeze that had floated the curtains earlier, had died away leaving her bedroom quiet and still.
She looked around the room that had slowly become hers over the past few weeks. A small collection of photos and knickknacks from her own home set on the dresser now, along with a stack maternity magazines she had only looked at once.
Restlessness stirred in her chest, and she wondered how long she could live in a place that still felt foreign. How long could she feel like a child again, unable to do for herself. How long would she be paralyzed by her grief, and muted by fear.
Her breath quickened as she sat up suddenly in her bed, then swung her legs out of the covers. She dressed quietly, then slid through her bedroom door, and a few steps down the hall.
“Tom…Tommy…are you still up?” she whispered through the door. She waited a moment, then knocked softly twice.
The door creaked open an inch to reveal a droopy eyed thirteen-year-old on the other side.
“Lola,” he asked rubbing his eyes, “are you alright? Do I need to get Mom?”
“No, no, nothing like that…” she felt a grin forming as she whispered. “I wanted to know if you wanted to go somewhere with me?”
“Now?” he asked incredulous.
“Yes, right now.” she answered quickly. “If you come with me, I’ll buy you doughnuts…hot doughnuts.”
“Give me a sec.”
Thank you so much for reading! If you would like to start from the beginning to see a fuller picture, I've linked all the parts below!
