At the airport Peyton stands close to Jane as they wait at baggage claim. Maura stands next to them, silently. They spot their bags, and yank them off the conveyer. When they get to the parking garage Jane makes a beeline for her car. When they reach her car Maura helps Jane put the bags in the trunk. Peyton crawls into the front seat. Jane taps on the window. "Don't be rude," Jane scolds her.
Maura flaps her hand, "It's ok Jane, I'm going to catch a cab."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, drive carefully."
"Ok," Jane nods, to exhausted to argue.
Fifteen minutes later Jane finds herself heading toward a familiar suburb. Peyton's head rests against the door. Jane grabs her phone out of the console. She begins dialing. A voice on the other end picks up after two rings.
"Hello?"
"Hey ma..."
"Jane it is nearly one o'clock in the morning," Angela points out.
"I know, but I didn't want you to shoot me."
"So you called me in the middle of the night? Janey what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Then why are you calling me so late?"
"Is daddy there?"
"Of course, can't you hear him, he's snoring like a buzzsaw."
"Mom focus," Jane begs.
"What Jane? What do you need? Why are you calling me so late? Are you in trouble?"
"I'm not in trouble."
"I'm tired Jane, whatever you want, just spit it out," Angela begs.
"When was the last time you washed the sheets in the guest bedroom?"
"That's what you called in the middle of the night to ask me?"
"Yeah. Are you gonna answer?"
"Last week, why?"
"Good. Mom I gotta go."
"Why? Jane what's going on?"
"Don't shoot any intruders," Jane answers as she hangs up the phone.
She pulls over to the curb, and pops the car into park. She kills the engine, and gets out of the car. Peyton is standing on sidewalk before Jane can get to the other side of the car. Peyton waits on the sidewalk motionlessly. Jane walks past her, "Come on," she insists.
"Too tired to take another step," she answers.
"Ok," Jane sighs. She lifts the long, skinny eleven year old up off the sidewalk. She walks past the car, down a driveway. She stops at the side of the house, with Peyton on her hip. She carefully unlocks the door, and tiptoes in the house. She closes, and locks the door behind her.
"Why are we here?" Peyton whispers.
"There's more room here. I don't have a bed for you to sleep in at my apartment, and my couch... is as solid as a rock."
"Can't I just sleep with you?"
"Yeah, but we're here now and..."
"She's gonna hear you," Peyton warns.
"Can you walk now?" Jane asks as she stops at the bottom of the stairway.
"Ok," Peyton yawns. She takes a step onto the first stair. It creaks. She hesitates, but after a moment she continues up the stairway. Jane follows behind her. Halfway up the stairway the light in the hallway at the top of the stairs flips on.
"Jane is that you?" Angela questions.
"Ma go back to bed," Jane insists.
"What are you doing at my house at one o'clock in the morning? You have your own place to live."
Jane stops. Peyton turns and looks at her, but Jane motions her on.
"Jane answer me," Angela insists, as her footsteps grow closer. When Angela reaches the stairway she finds a body standing at the top.
"Are you shrinking, Jane?"
"Turn on the other light ma," Jane answers from halfway down the stairs.
Angela flips the switch on the wall across from the top of the stair way. She turns, and looks at the person standing at the stairs. She doesn't say a word, and she doesn't move. Jane continues up the stairs until she reaches the top.
"Mom..." Jane starts.
Peyton turns and looks at Jane. "Is she having a heart attack?" Peyton whispers.
"No. Mom say something."
Angela remains as still as a statue, and her lips don't make a sound. All color drains from her face.
Peyton looks at Jane, "Do I have to wait for her? I'm tired, can I go to bed?"
"Jane you should take me to the hospital," Angela finally breaks her silence.
"Are you sick?"
"Jane I'm seeing things, and hearing them too. I think I'm hallucinating."
"You're not hallucinating."
"You're not seeing what I'm seeing."
"Yes I am. I see her, she's standing right next to me."
"You see her too? So I'm not imagining it?"
"She's real."
"She can't be," Angela argues.
Peyton rolls her eyes. She huffs, and walks past Angela, toward a bedroom. "Goodnight gramma," she yawns.
Jane steps forward and kisses her mother on the cheek. "When you come out of it, and realize what's going on, we'll be in there," Jane points to a bedroom down the hall, "sleeping." She walks away.
She goes into the bedroom, and finds Peyton waiting on the edge of the bed for her. "I don't want to go to sleep," she admits.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm afraid that I'll wake up, and I'll be back in Indiana and this will just be a dream."
"You won't be. Now go to sleep."
"Don't you..."
"Go to sleep," Jane repeats.
"Mom..."
"Peyton you'll be here. I'll be here. I'm not so sure about grandma, she might have an aneurysm, but this isn't a dream."
"Don't you worry that it is?"
"Yeah. I worry that I'll wake up and you won't be here. Or that you're not here. That you..."
"Don't cry," Peyton interrupts as she crawls under the covers.
Jane sits in the dark on the edge of the bed. She kicks off her shoes, and climbs under the covers next Peyton. Jane lies awake for a while. Peyton drifts to sleep rather quickly. Jane listens as Peyton breathes. Peyton rolls over in her sleep. She scoots closer to Jane. Jane takes it all in.
She feels the weight on her chest finally disappear as she begins to realize that it's reality. Peyton's feet are warm, and sweaty against Jane's legs. Jane lays her arm across Peyton's sleeping body. Jane pets Peyton's long, thick, dark hair. She smells of Pantene, and Mr. bubble. Before closing her eyes Jane kisses Peyton's temple. "Goodnight," she whispers, "I love you."