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I’m climbing into bed after changing into shorts and a T-shirt when my cell pings from the nightstand.
Tucker: I’m in my room. Are you in bed?
Me: Yeah.
Tucker: Care to show me what you sleep in?
Me: Soon.
I add the smiling emoji as I chuckle at his question.
Tucker: Night, spitfire.
Me: Night, handsome.
I set my phone on the charger before I roll over and fall asleep.
CHAPTER6
SYDNEY
“No. Please don’t shoot me,” I cry as I look up at him. The gun is aimed at me.
The shot rings out and I scream.
I come awake with tears rolling down my face and my throat raw from screaming in my sleep. I hear Mari crying through the monitor on the nightstand and look over to see her lying in her crib. I roll out of bed. Sweat beads across my skin. I take a moment to compose myself, upset that my screams woke up Mari. I move across the house to her room and reach into her crib to pull her into my body. I almost lost her and myself that night. I sit in the rocking chair and rock her back to sleep, my eyes heavy, but I won’t be able to sleep again tonight.
Maybe it’s time I talk to someone, but I don’t know if I can yet. Once Mari is back to sleep, I lay her back in her crib. I step out of her room and look across the hall to the closed door. I haven’t unpacked that room yet. I step toward the door and open it. Boxes line the wall along with camera bags and packs. I stand there and take it all in for a moment.
Everything from my previous life is here. Everything that wasn’t with me on that last trek. I had an amazing career. I step over the threshold and decide to start organizing the room.
Unboxing pictures from all my travels, I go around and finally make my house a home. I spend four hours unpacking and putting things away, and there are still boxes along the wall but it’s better. Mari starts fussing from her room and I look out the window to see the sun rising. Looking around at everything I’ve accomplished, I smile and feel better. I’ll be tired later, but coffee is becoming my new best friend.
A couple hours later I dial my mom’s cell.
“Hello, baby girl, how are my favorite angels this morning?” She chuckles through the phone. “How was your date last night?”
“You can’t help yourself, can you?”
“What? I just asked an innocent question.”
“I was raised by two attorneys. You taught me there are no innocent questions.” I laugh. “It was really nice. He helped me give Mari a bath, and I guess we are dating now.”
“You guess?”
“Okay, he said we were exclusive and called me his,” I say, and she laughs at me. “Mom, stop. I have a few things I need to talk to you about.”
“Okay, what’s up?”
“First, can you watch Mari tonight? There is a party at the clubhouse Tucker wants me to go to with him.”
“Anytime, angel. What else?”
“Can I see a counselor?”
“Still having those nightmares?” Her voice is serious now.
“A few.” I’ve been hiding my lack of sleep from her. “But mostly I think it’s time to work through everything.” I did have a counselor through the hospital when I first woke up, but I haven’t since everything went through the courts.
