Reflections of Light

Awake

Abby began throwing a wobbly the second Nyx crawled into bed.

Scrambling back out of bed, Nyx padded barefoot across the landing to Abby's room, scrubbing at her heavy eyes.
"Between you and my wack-ass dreams, I'm gonna die of sleep exhaustion."

Pushing open the door, she crossed to Abby's crib, scooping the grizzling child up into her arms.
"Is this because Travis put you to bed?
Huh? Silly girl, what are you fussing about? Throwing a tizzy because I wasn't giving you a hundred percent of my attention."

She smiled, bouncing Abby gently in her arms, as the small girl cuddled close.
Nyx fondly stroked Abby's soft baby hair, brushing the downy curls with her fingers.

"You calm now? Yeah? Better?"

Abby looked up into Nyx's face, sucking on her fingers, eyes smiling and gurgling happily.

Nyx grinned, bending her neck down and rubbing their noses together in an Eskimo kiss.

"Aw, you're sweet. Come on, bedtime. I'm tired."

"Uh-uh." Abby gurgled, taking a hand out of her mouth and pointing to the window, kicking her legs in Nyx's arms and looking between her and the window.
"Uh-uuh!"

"You wanna go to the window? Okay, but only for a quick look. It's bedtime."

She wandered over to the window, tugging open the curtain.

"Oh, wow, you've got the streetlight shining right into your room from here. Is that your problem? That why you wake up? I'm sorry, sweetie. That'd keep me awake, for sure. Aw, sorry, Abby! I'll see about getting some thicker curtains or something, I'll do something about that."

She chuckled. "Hey, maybe we should switch rooms. It's not like I get much sleep anyway...

Hey, quit wriggling missy!"

Abby was wiggling in Nyx's arms, trying to get to the window, reaching her hands out towards the glass.

"Hang on a tick."

Adjusting Abby in her arms, Nyx set her on the windowsill, holding her up so she was standing on the wooden shelf.
Abby pressed her hands against the glass, leaving sticky fingerprints on the window as she peered out.

"Uh-uuh!" Abby squeaked, turning back to Nyx and smiling happily, gesturing out the window.

Nyx adjusted her arm to support Abby better, peering out of the window.

"Let's see, what we got out here...
Travis's truck, which we think is cool, don't we? And... Mason-from-next-door's tin can of a van, which he insists on using to wake everyone up at four in the morning.
And... There's the cafe across the road..."

She pointed them out one by one, chuckling under her breath as Abby followed her finger, pressing her hands flat against the glass where Nyx was pointing, as if she were trying to grab the things Nyx was pointing out.

Nyx giggled, scooping Abby up in her arms, and tugging closed the curtains.
"Come on, sleepy time now.