Susan got home exhausted. She put Suzie down first, and then checked Chloe. Gone, again. She didn't want to talk to him; she just wanted him to hold her tight and never let go. But she knew he needed to hear from her so she picked up the phone and dialled. The apartment was dark except for the city lights that threw shadows across the lounge. She slumped back in the shadow of a couch.
"Yeah." Mark's croaky sleepy voice answered.
Susan's voice failed.
"Hello?"
"Yeah." Susan whispered.
"Susan is that you?" he sat up in bed, suddenly awake. He looked at the clock – three a.m.
"Hi." She said a little more audibly.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah… I mean, no… I mean, I'm sorry, it's three a.m." she'd cast a curious glance at her watch.
"It's okay. I wanted to talk to you."
"Yeah, I know."
"How's it going with Chloe and Suzie and…" he trailed off – he wanted to help but he had no idea how.
"They're both home. Chloe sleeps a little less naturally, and Suzie a little less peacefully."
Mark let out a breath audibly. "Susan…"
"I'm okay." She tried to reassure him.
"Every bone in my body is screaming out to do something." He tried to explain his frustration.
"I know. That feeling is why I moved here. But I'm so tired…"
They sat in silence for a while until Mark spoke. "Sleep well Susan."
"You too." She offered hopelessly. "Mark, wait." She stopped him from hanging up. "Let me sing you to sleep."
"How am I supposed to say no to that?"
"So don't." she turned her body and lay back on the dimly lit couch.
Mark lay back in bed.
"If I needed you, would you come to me? Would you come to me, and ease my pain? If you needed me, I would come to you. I would swim the seas… to ease you pain. In the night forlorn the morning's born… and the morning shines with the lights of love. You will miss sunrise if you close your eyes… that would break my heart in two. If I needed you, would you come to me? Would you come to me, and ease my pain? If you needed me, I would come to you. I would swim the seas… for to ease you pain." She whispered the last words. "Goodnight."
"Thank you." He whispered and hung up.
"Yeah." Mark's croaky sleepy voice answered.
Susan's voice failed.
"Hello?"
"Yeah." Susan whispered.
"Susan is that you?" he sat up in bed, suddenly awake. He looked at the clock – three a.m.
"Hi." She said a little more audibly.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah… I mean, no… I mean, I'm sorry, it's three a.m." she'd cast a curious glance at her watch.
"It's okay. I wanted to talk to you."
"Yeah, I know."
"How's it going with Chloe and Suzie and…" he trailed off – he wanted to help but he had no idea how.
"They're both home. Chloe sleeps a little less naturally, and Suzie a little less peacefully."
Mark let out a breath audibly. "Susan…"
"I'm okay." She tried to reassure him.
"Every bone in my body is screaming out to do something." He tried to explain his frustration.
"I know. That feeling is why I moved here. But I'm so tired…"
They sat in silence for a while until Mark spoke. "Sleep well Susan."
"You too." She offered hopelessly. "Mark, wait." She stopped him from hanging up. "Let me sing you to sleep."
"How am I supposed to say no to that?"
"So don't." she turned her body and lay back on the dimly lit couch.
Mark lay back in bed.
"If I needed you, would you come to me? Would you come to me, and ease my pain? If you needed me, I would come to you. I would swim the seas… to ease you pain. In the night forlorn the morning's born… and the morning shines with the lights of love. You will miss sunrise if you close your eyes… that would break my heart in two. If I needed you, would you come to me? Would you come to me, and ease my pain? If you needed me, I would come to you. I would swim the seas… for to ease you pain." She whispered the last words. "Goodnight."
"Thank you." He whispered and hung up.