Thanks for the reviews guys! By the looks of it, I'm making all of you cry! This should get happier.
Chapter Ten: A New Place
Suddenly, I began to smile again. The days seemed brighter to me, and the nights seemed quieter, peaceful. I smiled to myself every once and while, thinking of those words left unsaid between Tommy and I. We didn't need them; the bond between us was too strong for that. And, as I quickly began to grasp, I couldn't handle them either.
About a month after my initiation into the Quincy family, I awoke one night to a soft whimper. Sitting up inquiringly in the guest bed, I looked to my left, believing that the source was Jess. He was still peacefully slumbering, however, his face blank, full of utter naivety, like all babies.
Feeling slightly unnerved, I slid off and onto the floor. As I pulled on a bathrobe, I heard the riot again. It was to some extent louder this occurrence, and I noticed devoid of my sense of continuing slumber, that it was coming from not within the room, but outside my closed door. Stepping cautiously over to it, I opened the quite stationary door. The sight that welcomed my eyes was one I will never forget.
There, on the floor, sat a nightgown clad Jude, feet pulled to chest, rocking back and forth slightly. The upset state of her startled me slightly, almost as much as my presence did for her. Jude snapped out of her reverie, leaping to her feet, without a word, she rushed into my room. Puzzled by her odd behavior, I shut the door. Looking down at her expectant face, I spoke.
"Jude honey, is there something the matter?"
Her head nodded vehemently. "I had a bad dream."
"Oh." I uttered softly, trying to figure out what she wanted me to do. "Would you like for me to go get your daddy?"
She knew the answer to this immediately. "No." She shook her head fiercely. "Mommy used to always stay with me until I fell asleep, not daddy."
I couldn't suppress the tiniest of gasps. It now all made sense to me. In Jude's adolescent mind, I was her new mother substitute. I was the one to kiss her scrapes, the one who would make everything better with the lift of a finger. This little girl depended on me. This family depended on me. A new level of responsibility, of importance had been rested on my shoulders, and I was ready for it.
"Sure honey. Come here; get in the bed with me. I'll make sure you don't get scared."