Mared opened her eyes. Her daughter was standing in her bedroom.
"Oh. Elin, sweetheart." Mared slightly lifted herself up in the bed. "What time is it?"
"Early," Elin replied.
"You back?" Mared spoke again.
"Ma, when I came in this morning, there was a man sleeping on the couch. Found out he works with you. He just left."
"Oh," Mared began to speak in a quieter tone as if talking to herself but repeating her thoughts aloud, "Tom stayed the night." She looked down and then spoke directly to Elin.
"It's not what you think...I"
"A point to which I was assured of by Mr. Mathias himself when I sort of asked him...began to ask him..."
"Ask him what?"
"Well, what was I supposed to think? It was a shock. The circumstances and setting seemed right." Elin continued.
"Elin!" Mared blushed.
"What, Mam? I'm not at home. You were alone. Got me and Gran and grandad-all of us- out the house all night for once. I mean, he looked a bit desheveled...I mean he was clothed but sort of...rumpled...tie off, etc..."
"And that's all it takes..." Mared used a mocking tone. "He was sleeping, Elin. He's bound to look a little...rumpled...or whatever you would like to call it. Anyway, where did you think I was?"
"I don't know, Ma. The shower, maybe."
Mared couldn't stop blushing, "Well...if you've not noticed, I'm a bit under the weather."
"A fact he also explained when he denied any alleged sexual..."
"Oh, God." Mared mumbled covering her face with the palm of her hand, because she continued to blush.
"You may want to know that it was then that I asked him if he was here to take care of you. He said yes, and he blushed."
"Oh, stop it, Elin. He probably looked so because you were pestering him. Anyway, I had no notion of his staying the entire night. I was too ill or delirious to care. It won't happen again. You should not have walked in to be given a fright like that-to see a man who was a stranger to you here like that.
"Mam, I'm not a little girl, and as long as he's not a killer or a criminal, what's the problem? Who am I to say you can't have a romantic night together with someone? He seemed...nice. I discovered he's very respectful and caring of you. He also has very kind eyes. He was worried. He's given me a whole medicinal plan."
"Has he?" Mared's voice became gentle as she lay back.
"He seems a good and kind man." Elin replied. Mared's gaze held a faraway look. She was recalling the hours when Tom came to check on her in the night.
He did have kind eyes. She had to agree with her daughter, but she already knew that.