In The Way Of Life And Death (Backstage)

Anxiety

Alya only got three hours of sleep that night, she woke at three o'clock the next morning, and couldn't get back to sleep. She got out of bed and went to make herself a cup of coffee. The dog, who had followed her out of the bedroom, whined to be let out. So Alya threw on some slippers and descended the stairs into the walkout basement. She opened the door for the dog, who ran down the stairs rather ungracefully.

Alya came back upstairs once the dog was outside. She quietly finished making her cup of coffee and drank it quickly. She then unplugged her phone from the charger and took it to the living room, where she tried to fall back to sleep in a recliner. It didn't work. She moved over to the couch and settled in under a blanket.

She woke up after an hour to find Miles snuggled up next to her, sleeping peacefully. Alya tried to get up without disturbing him, but it was pretty difficult to do that with his arm around her shoulders. His eyes fluttered open as soon as she tried to move.

"It's four in the morning. Let's go back to bed and get some sleep," Miles mumbled, still half asleep.

"I can't sleep."

"You seemed to be doing fine just a minute ago."

"I'm just nervous about the testing today, that's all."

"Why? You said they were just doing some tests, you said it was no big deal." He sat up straighter, his tone became more serious with every word.

"I might have fibbed a little bit when I said that."

"Alya-"

"It's the same test as last month, the results never came back from the lab and I'm having it done again. They aren't charging anything extra for it, don't worry." The young woman told him as she tried to keep her tone light.

"So that's what's got you so worked up?"

"Well why shouldn't I be? Everything I've wanted since we got married was a family and now..." She trailed off, never finishing the sentence. She'd started to cry, Miles was trying his best to comfort her. He hated to see his beautiful bride in tears.

"I'm sorry, I- I didn't mean to hurt you. Alya I'm so sorry."

"I just, I just want everything to-" She hiccuped, before breaking down into tears again.

"Shh, everything is going to be alright I promise." Miles assured his wife, "I'd never let anything happen to you."

"But you can't promise that!" She screamed at him, "nobody could ever promise something like that."