It's Time

Long Story Short

"Mr. Spencer," I hear a tiny voice cry out. "I'm scared."

I slowly open my eyes, preparing to adjust to the bright lights. Spencer, of course, doesn't budge. When my eyes finally open, I'm shocked by the darkness that surrounds us. I reach for my phone, but I'm unable to move Spence's large body enough to locate it. Lifting myself off him, I refocus my attention on Jace. I almost forgot that the sound of his little tears is what woke me up to begin with.

"Hi, little guy! What's the matter?" I reach my arms out to him, and he instantly runs over, burying his face in my stomach. I feel his tears through my shirt while listening to his sniffles. "I had a bad dream." He whispers as he trembles in my arms.

I kneel down so that I'm now eye level with Jace, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Where is my mommy?" Staring into his big brown eyes, I silently ask myself the same question. Where is Julia? I need to find my phone.

"Your mommy had to work, kiddo, but she'll be back soon. Okay?" I smile at him. He nods though his grip around my waist tightens. "How about you and I go lay down together? I'll keep all the bad dreams away."

Jace wipes away one of his tears before staring back at me. "You promise?" The desperation in his voice breaks my heart. He's so scared, and I don't know what Julia usually does for him when he has nightmares. We're in unchartered territory, and Julia should be here.

"I promise, J-man." I'd heard Spencer call him that earlier, and his face lit up at the nickname, so I figured I'd try it now.

As soon as I pick Jace up, he buries his face in my neck, resting his head on my shoulder. I grab at the blanket on the couch to tuck Spencer in, and my phone falls out. I guess Spence and I weren't the only thing tangled in the sheets a few hours ago. I place the blanket over him before bending down to kiss his cheek. Jace giggles, looking up at me. "Ewwww."

I reach down for my phone, checking for any missed calls or texts. Nothing. I finally notice the time, 1:23 am. Julia, where the hell are you? Jace and I head back to my room as I hope I'll be able to get him back to sleep. I gently lay him down, telling him I'll be right back after I use the bathroom. A 'potty break,' as he referred to it, gave me the perfect opportunity to discreetly call his mom.

My call goes straight to voicemail prompting me to call once more. Again, I'm greeted by Julia's voicemail. I send her a quick text and attempt to suppress the unease brewing inside. Right now, I have to focus on Jace. He's already afraid, and kids sense everything. Once he's asleep, I'll try again to reach his mom. My mind is racing as I peek out and glance at the innocent face of her sweet boy. Taking a deep breath, I shove my phone in my pocket and head out to face the little one.

"Ready to go back to sleep, kiddo?" He rubs his eyes and nods at me.

"No more nightmares?" I pause, succumbing to the war of words currently occurring in my head. My gut is screaming at me that he and I are already starring in a nightmare. I attempt to shake off the dread when Jace's wide, bright brown eyes recapture my attention.

"That's right!" I force a smile. I'm sure everything is fine.

I turn on my sound machine, hoping the beach waves will not only calm my nerves but guide Jace back to sleep. When we first moved into this house, I was having trouble sleeping. Truth be told, I was extremely homesick. California is all I've ever known, and Chicago was quite the adjustment, to say the least. Spencer insisted on buying this fancy bedside alarm thing. I didn't see a need for it but arguing was useless. His mind was made up. That night he smiled from ear to ear as he waited to show off his new toy. We got comfortable in bed, and then he told me to press the sound button on the alarm clock. Instantly, I was comforted by the sound of beach waves, and I've used it to sleep every night since then. Even though my boyfriend tells me he loves me every day, he shows me in so many little ways that I sometimes think I'm dreaming. I didn't think I could ever love him as much as I did before, but boy, was I wrong.