In Waves -Book 3

Chapter 2 - Delicate Daylight

The night time had passed and I chased her monsters away and of course she sought sanctuary in the one place she knew was safe.

I awoke to see the sunlight of the late December peeking through the curtains and could see my bedroom clock flashing and I just laid there, I just breathed the cool winter air and turned and held her close.

A warm little dumpling with crazy morning hair snoozing with her faithful friend Mi Mi the duck stuffed under her arm and her face red and rosy and I just smiled.

No matter what monsters still plagued my mind, my sanctuary was right in my arms, as just like her father, her heart grounded me and made me believe that love was always there.

I looked at his photo on my nightstand, one of the last pictures we ever took together, it was of us laying in our bed back then and he was trying to make me laugh to distract me from all the chaos that was in our life at the moment, and I too had crazy morning hair , but he would always tell me I was beautiful and that I was his world, even if we didn't used our forbidden word back then.

'Morning baby' I mouthed , smiling and hugging an increasingly wriggly child , who woke up almost on cue.

'Mama.....Mi Mi' Her course little voice spoke from halfway under the duvet.

'Good morning Gracey baby' I said softly sweeping her wispy hair out of her face after she turned around and her beautiful little round face looked at me with such happiness.

'Is it Christmas yet Mama, has Santa been?' She asked, much the same question I had every day for almost a month, as she was now at the age where she understood Christmas and of course having had some lovely gifts from Bo Bo, she was extra excited after every sleep.

'No baby, not today, 3 more sleeps, remember you have a few more days to go on your chocolate calender....and when the doors run out then it is Christmas day ' I explained to the small warm nodding child who understood what I meant, even if we where to have this conversation again tomorrow.

'Is it nursery today Mama?' Aera asked, hoping I would say yes.

'No not today baby, you are on holiday for 16 days from there so your teachers can have Christmas with their families , remember we did all your Christmas cards last week' I explained as Aera sat up and rubbed her nose and stretched her arms, with Mi mi promptly falling the short distance to the top of the duvet.

'Miss Lee liked my card and the cookies we made' Aera said sounding proud of herself.

'Yes baby, they liked them very much' I smiled back and sat up to match Aera.

'Miss Lee is my favourite, she helps me draw' Aera said as she grabbed Mi mi to sit in her lap.

'Yes she is , but you're everyone's favourite, and they will be happy to see you next year' I said and she listened diligently waiting to answer.

'Before I am 4?' Aera said , still trying to grasp the difference between days, weeks , months and years and being as ever inquisitve as time went on.

'Yes baby you go back to Nursery in January and then you are 4 in February , and then in September which is 7 months later than your Birthday you will start big girl school' I said making a point to highlight each bit of information.

'Bo bo will be older than 4 too !!' Aera said all exciting and her eyes growing into adorable dark diamonds.

'Yes Gracey, you and Bo bo have the same birthday but he is older than you, but younger than Mama, he is 2 years younger ' I said holding up two fingers to help her count.

'That's still really old though Mama!' Aera said almost sarcastically dead pan, but whenever a child explains something it can sometimes seem they are trying to be funny all the time.