Jane squats down next to the couch. Peyton lays on her stomach. Her hair is plastered to her face with sweat. Jane tucks the stray hair behind her ear. She kisses Peyton's forehead.
"Peyton," she whispers.
"Jane don't wake her up," Angela scolds.
Jane ignores her. "Sweetheart, can you wake up please?"
Peyton's eyes pop open. She just looks at Jane.
"Hi," she yawns.
"Did you have a good day?"
"Uh huh," she sits up.
Jane takes a seat next to her.
"I missed you," she admits.
"Why don't we go home?" Jane questions.
"I'll get my stuff."
"It's sitting in the dining room," Angela tells her.
Peyton leaves the room.
"Where are you going to put her?"
"I thought that I'd let her sleep in a drawer."
"Jane I'm serious. You don't have any room at your apartment."
"She can sleep with me."
"She's eleven, it's unnatural."
"It's fine. It's just temporary, until I find another place."
"What about school? Have you figured out school, or a babysitter?"
"Not yet. I'm taking a few days off. I made her a doctor's appointment for tomorrow, and an appointment with a..." she trails off.
"With a what?"
"A therapist," Jane answers.
"Why didn't you want to say that?"
"I thought that you'd have a comment."
"No. I don't."
"Do you have a comment on anything else?"
"I don't think you should send her to school."
"That's not an option. There are laws..."
"She's got anxiety about it."
"I would too."
"Why don't you home school her?"
"I'm never home."
"I'll do it."
"You want to home school her?"
"Maybe just for the year. I mean school is already started, and you don't know where she is academically."
"I'll do whatever she wants."
"Mom I'm ready," Peyton calls from the other room.
"Coming," Jane answers.
"Take the dog," Angela insists.
"Come one buddy," she motions. The dog hops off Angela's lap, and follows Jane.
That night Jane jerks awake. She sits up in bed. She gets the feeling that something isn't right. She feels around in bed, and finds that it's empty. She flips on the lamp, and looks around the room. She's the only one in her room. She hops out of bed, and is to the doorway in less than two steps. She goes into the hallway, and sees nothing. She looks in the bathroom, but it's empty. She makes her way into the kitchen to find that it's also empty. She wanders into the living room. She flips on the light. She finds Peyton lying on the couch.
She takes a seat on her couch, slipping under Peyton's legs.
"You wanna tell me what you're doing out here?"
"I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's ok."
"I couldn't sleep, and I didn't want to wake you up."
"Don't worry about it. I don't sleep very soundly, and I don't mind if you wake me up."
"You were snoring."
"I guess I sleep better knowing that you're here with me. Why can't you sleep?"
"I don't know," she shrugs.
"Is there something on your mind?"
"I guess."
"Are you going to tell me about it?"
"No."
"Peyton, please."
"I guess I'm just scared."
"Of what?"
"That he's going to take me again. Is that irrational?"
"No it's not irrational, but he's not going to take you."
"How can you be so sure?"
"First of all he's going to be in prison for a long time, and second of all..."
"You can't stop it."
"I'm sorry if I let you down. I should have done more to protect you. I should have..."
"It's not your fault."
"Sometimes it feels like it is."
"Mommy?"
"Huh?"
"I really missed you."
"I know."
"I tried to convince him to bring me home. But he wouldn't. I just wanted to come home."
"I know," Jane admits trying not to allow her emotions to overcome her.
"It was always the worst at bedtime."
"What do you mean?"
"He wouldn't read to me, or tuck me in. He didn't even talk to me when he was home."
"He was gone a lot?"
"All the time."
"Did you get to go to school?"
"Sometimes, it depended on where we were. We never stayed in one place for very long."
Jane doesn't say anything. She simply pulls Peyton onto her lap. Peyton's ear rests against Jane's chest. Jane pets her head. Jane wipes the tears from Peyton's face as she clings to her. Jane wipes her own tears on her sleeve.
"No matter where you are I'm thinking about you. I would go to the end of the earth for you. There isn't anything that I wouldn't do for you."
"I know."
"You were the dream I never knew that I had. I hope you know that..." her voice cracks, "I love you more than anything else in the world."