( Brighid sniffles, rubs teary eyes with the back of her hand. Itās so late. Or is it early-morning-territory yetā itās got to be. Well, whoās to say. It doesnāt matter, Brighidās bedroom is a fathomless wash of grainy indigo-black. In her head, the cushy ottoman at the foot of the bed is a hulking, dormant beast. The pile of blankets heaped on top are no longer cheerful knitted chenille but monster arms, reaching over the footboard to seize her ankles.
Brighid hates the dark. How is she supposed to feel better like this? Her room is full of unseen terrors, sheās sure of it. ) Yes. ( The gruff rasp of Bertieās voice beside her is a comfort so welcome Brighid hardly has any speech to answer it. Instead, she tremulously reaches for Bertieās hand and finds its heel and her wrist instead. ) Always. ( She echoes, brushing her palm with her index finger. ) āI- I love you.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā ā i love you, too, ā she answers, the words bookended by roberta working her jaw and staring pinch-browed at the ceiling. it isnāt until something flashes across it ā maybe something brighid canāt see, maybe exclusive to her own fiddly realm-not-realm ā that it occurs to her just what must be wrong.
with a jump to action, as if physically walloped with the realization, bertie twists in bed (without letting go, of course), strikes a match behind her teeth, and lights the two well-used candles on her bedside table.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā ā baby, what on earth are you doinā awake? ā guilt and worry do wonders in the way of clearing her head.Ā ā why wouldnāt you tell me? you know i got no problem with havinā the lights on. ā