Chapter 5: Nightmares and Wet Beds
"Mommy! Mommy!" Mimi heard Sam cry in her sleep.
"Shhhh... it's okay, I'm here."
"I want my Mommy." Sam just tuned six, but the trajety had caused her to revert. Mimi felt the wet sheets. Sam had been here a week. During the day Sam was fine, she was distracted by life on the farm. Stanley had told her that it was her special job to feed the chickens and collect the eggs each morning. Six year olds were normally up at the crack of dawn, so that wasn't a big adjustment. She got to know the horses, and like her aunt, started talking to the chickens. Stanley taught her how to ride Angel, and Sam loved helping Mimi cook. But when the sun went down, she would dream of parents, who to her just disapeared. She had even started to wet the bed. Mimi tried to keep the darkness at bay. But their experiences were different. Mimi had been sheltered in this town, while this little girl witnessed the evil hearts of men.
She was asleep calmly in her arms. With Stanley's help they changed her clothes, put on the plastic cover to the bed from when Bonnie was little, and fresh linens on the bed. The other nights she had had nightmares again when she went back to sleep. But when Mimi checked on her when they were up to start their day, she was calmly sleeping.
The next day, Stanley took Sam riding on a trail nearby. Mimi, who had taken to working from home since they lost Bonnie, was making lunch for when they got back when there was a knock on the door. "Jake!" Mimi screamed, "How are you! How's Mr. Hawkings?"
"He's with his family. I just wanted to see how Stanley's doing, after..."
"Yeah, he's taking it a day at a time. He's out teaching my Niece how to ride."
"Niece?"
"Yeah, it turns out that she was on a fieldtrip outside the city when the attacks happened. In all the confusion, it took that broadcast here with the president for them to know I'm alive."
"So, new niece, and new baby?"
"Is it really that obvious, I'm only four months along."
"I came into town last night, Em told me." He turned at the sound of horses as Jake and Sam trotted back. "Here's the proud father now"
Stanley smiled, as he swung down and moved Sam from the horse to the ground. "You been around again?"
"Sorry it took so long to get back, Hawkings and I had to lay low."
Mimi saw the look from Stanley, "Sam, why don't we go set the table for lunch, and let Uncle Stanley talk to Mr. Green."
"Okay."
TBC...
sorry, it's not as long as I wanted it to be, I'm having technical difficulties with my keyboard of all things!