Colin went to the bathroom, changed into sweats, brushed his teeth, then went to the couch and lay down in the dark.
Sleep was going to be a long time coming.
Colin had been staringat the ceiling for at least an hour when Maren’s door opened.
He didn’t move, just tracked the sound of her bare feet on the hardwood floor as she came down the hall and stopped at the edge of the living room.
She was faintly lit by the kitchen nightlight over the stove, wearing an oversized t-shirt. Her hair was down. She looked uncertain.
“Can’t sleep either?” she asked quietly.
Colin opened his eyes and grinned. “Not really. How’d you know I was awake?”
Maren smiled and shrugged. “I’d say a mother develops instincts for when someone is fake-sleeping, but I’m just an aunt. So I guess some of those instincts rubbed off on me from Mira.”
Colin sat up. “You make a great mom.” He kept his voice even.
“If you say so.”
She was killing him.
Colin slid his legs off the couch and pulled the blanket off to the side. He gestured for Maren to join him.
Maren hesitated, then crossed to the couch and sat at the far end, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. She left a careful two feet of space between them. That killed, too.
If I hadn’t said anything in the hall. If I’d just said you’re welcome when she thanked me. If I’d taken one step closer to her…
It would have been wrong, and you know it.
They sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment, two people who didn’t know where they stood after he’d shoved her away in the hallway.
“Is it always like this?” Maren asked finally. “The not-sleeping?”
Colin shifted onto his side to look at her. “Comes with the territory.”
“I used to sleep fine.” She rested her chin on her knees. “Eight hours, no problem. Now every sound wakes me up. Every creak in the house. I keep thinking someone’s breaking in again.”
“That’s normal.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah. Your brain’s trying to keep you safe. It’ll settle eventually.”
“When?”
Colin almost smiled. “When the threat’s gone. Or when you’re so exhausted you don’t have a choice.”
“Great. So I have those two options to look forward to.”
“Pretty much.”
Maren was quiet for a moment. “You recognized the book.”
“My sister loved it growing up. Same book, same blue fairy on the cover. She carried it everywhere when she was little.”
“You have a sister?”
“Yeah. Nicole.” He paused. “But we’re not close. Kind of drifted. It’s my fault. I’m too busy to see her, and she and her husband are too busy with their kid.”
