“Do you mind?” I whispered to Mitch and he just stared at me.
After awhile he said, “No.”
“Thanks.” I was still whispering.
Mitch got off the bed and I pulled the bedclothes back. He shifted them in, rolled Billie between us then rolled back to turn out the light. Since it was dark, I heard them moving to get settled and I reached out a hand to feel Billie was turned into Mitch, still holding on. I stroked her back for awhile then when I heard Billie’s breathing turn heavy and her little body relaxed, I pulled away to lay on my back and stare at the dark ceiling.
That was when I whispered, “Mitch, you awake?”
“Yeah,” Mitch replied.
“Sorry about this.”
There was silence.
“Really, um…sorry,” I said quietly.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“She was really scared and I, uh…didn’t know what to do.”
“Mara, don’t worry about it.”
“I feel badly,” I told him softly. “You’re being so nice and –”
I felt the bed move then I saw the shadow of Mitch’s frame looming over Billie’s body toward me then I felt Mitch’s fingers on the side of my face, his thumb on my lips.
“There are far worse things than needin’ to sleep in this bed with you and a scared outta her brain six year old. Like I said, sweetheart, don’t worry about it. Yeah?”
“Okay,” I whispered against his thumb.
“Go to sleep.”
“Okay.”
His thumb swept my lips then his shadow disappeared as he lay back down. Billie moved, nestling into him, still breathing heavily and I hoped that meant she didn’t wake up.
I lay in the dark and stared at the ceiling.
I did this awhile.
Then I called, “Mitch?”
This got me a rumbly, sleepy, “Yeah?”
“Sorry, were you asleep?”
“Not yet.”
I bit my lip.
“You want somethin’?” he asked.
“Um…”
“Mara, honey, we both got work tomorrow –”
I cut him off on a whispered, “She was freaking scared.”