Harsh light chased away the darkness of the hallway as the scent of her mother’s house changed to the floral presence of cleaning compound. One of the nannies had come over to rouse her after opening the blinds. She squinted at the room, and for an instant thought she had pulled her little self out of the dream. Evan slept on top of her in the chair. His pajama top scrunched to his armpits from how she clutched him like a living teddy bear. She could not help but brush his hair out of his face as she watched him breathe, finding a few minutes of peace. “Is he having trouble sleeping alone?” The nanny leaned in with a hand on her shoulder. Kirsten smiled. “No, I think he did this for my benefit. He’s a tough kid.” “Aww.” She squeezed Kirsten’s shoulder. “Still having the same nightmare?” She exhaled, studying the back of her hand. “It doesn’t scare me anymore.”
