Chapter eighteen

The afterglow of the nightlight illuminates the corner of the room. Fear takes over when I don't feel a warm body beside me. Shorty's side of the bed is empty. I swing my legs over the bed and rub the sleepiness from my eyes.

The light underneath the bathroom door catches my eye. I take a few steps toward the door and place my ear against it. I hear the bath running and a small whimper. I softly knock, waiting for a response, but it never comes. I take a deep breath and push the door open. The air in my lungs freezes and the pain in my chest feels like razor wire that slices through my heart.

Shorty lies in the tub fully clothed and with her arms wrapped around her legs, pulling them tight against her chest. Her head rests on her forearms as she shudders while she weeps. She gasps for air in between her cries.

"Shorty." I peel off my shirt and climb into the tub with her. I sit behind her and wrap my arms around her, pulling her between my legs and into my chest.

"It's going to be okay, baby. I'm here," I whisper in her ear. She surprises me by turning to face me, wrapping her legs around my waist, and hides her face in the crook of my neck. I hold her tight against me and rub her back.

"Did you have another nightmare?" I ask quietly.

She nods against me and lets out a whimper. My heart continues to shatter the more she cries, the more pain she feels, and from the nightmares that haunt her sleep. I wish I could take her pain away, turn back time to when Jo was still alive so she'd never have to feel this way.

After the first night with us, Shorty hasn't had any nightmares. Things started to go back to normal. Her cast was long gone. While she's been staying with us, Shorty was attending therapy and classes online, spending time with her family, and being an excellent mom to Sophia.

After what seems like hours, the water turns cold, and Shorty's cries fade away. She looks up at me with her big brown eyes full of pain. I place a soft kiss on her lips. I need her to feel something, anything.

"Let's get you out of these wet clothes and go back to bed, okay?"

She nods and gets out of the tub. After we're dried and each changed into a fresh set of clothes, I carry her to bed with her legs wrapped around my waist.

I lay her down and pull her close to me.

I sing the chorus part of "My Girl." I kiss her neck and the top of her head as she drifts off to sleep.