Author's Note: Review Request, little girl has a nightmare.
A Nightmare
Letty rolled over in bed with a yawn, stirred out of her sleep by the tiny tapping against the door. She rubbed a hand over her face, reaching down to snag one of Dom's t-shirts off the floor. She tugged it over her head, wiggled into a pair of panties and nudged her husband awake as she climbed over him out of bed. He grunted and rolled over before snatching at the boxers she threw over his face. He gave her a look and she raised her brow when the tiny knock on the door came again.
This time followed by a little voice. "Mami?" and a few pathetic sniffles.
Understanding, he tugged the boxers on before she eased the door open. Her daughter's little face peered up at her in the dark hallway, hair a riot of sleep-tossed curls around a round face. Dark eyes shiny with tears. She rubbed her hands over her face, clutching her plushy ninja turtle under one arm, then reached up to be held, lower lip quivering.
Letty scooped her into her arms, even though at 4 years old the girl was becoming more independent and less likely to want to be carried anywhere. "What's wrong, mija?"
She clung to her mother, little hands clutching at her shoulders as tears rolled down her face. "I was asweep… and scawy things happened. I saw scawy things Mami."
Letty hugged her daughter gently, using her hip to close the door before she carried her over to the bed. Dom was sitting up now, watching them quietly. He reached out to rub the girl's little back.
"Have a nightmare?" he asked.
"That's what it sounds like," Letty replied, easing her daughter away from where she was burrowed against her chest. "You want to tell Mami and Papi about the scary things?"
She sat with the little girl on her lap and the child rubbed her eyes, sniffing up at them.
"Dere was monstews," she said. "Scawy and gwey and like a big cwoud of smoke." She gestured with her tiny hands. "We was dwiving away from the monstews. And the caw was noisy and we kepts goin' but the monstew wouldn't go away." Her dark eyes were wide with horror now. "And then it catched me and I was scawed and I waked up!"
"It was just a bad dream," Letty assured. "It wasn't real."
"Pwomise?"
"I promise," she smiled. "Besides, if it was real there's no way that monster would catch us. Who drives faster than Papi?"
"No one," the little girl announced, and then grinned, launching herself into his arms. He laughed and caught her, pressing a kiss atop her curls.
"That's right," he told her, wrapping his arms around her. "So they're not so scary anymore huh?"
She looked uncertain. "But… maybe dey come back when I faww asweep."
"I don't think they'll come back," Dom said, rubbing her little back. "And you're going to have to sleep if you want to come to the garage with Mami and me tomorrow."
The child pouted, seemingly at a loss. "But… I scawed," she admitted.
"Do you want to sleep here? With Mami and Papi?" Letty asked cautiously. The child perked up immediately, scooting out of her father's lap to curl up in the middle of the bed happily. She hugged her turtle against her chest.
"Sweep hewe," she chirped, yawning big.
Letty gave Dom a sheepish smile and lay back down on her side of the bed. Their daughter turned to curl against her, little arms wrapping around her waist and clinging on. Letty raised her brows, lifting her lashes to meet the amused gaze of her husband. She made a face at him.
"C'mere," he murmured, and she scooted into his arms, shifting the child against her more comfortably. The little girl mumbled, already half asleep, and burrowed close.
Letty settled back against him, her head pillowed against his chest, listening to the sound of his heart-beat. Their daughter lay curled against her, breath warm against her shoulder, deep and even as she slipped into an easy sleep. Now feeling safe and content the child's exhaustion won out. Dom pressed a kiss to her ear.
"Sweet dreams," he whispered, laughing and she elbowed him lightly before closing her eyes. No more monsters tonight. Except maybe their little monster.