If Atem Lived in my Head

Meeting the Mother

             "Egypt was amazing." I sigh as I drop my bags on my bedroom floor. The flight came in late, my ride was incapacitated but a quick Uber home fixed it. I wasn't about to let anything take this away from me, not yet.

"You are tired, Nuni." Atem says taking a seat at my computer desk. "you should sleep now."

"I don't want it to be over yet." I sigh as I fall back onto the bed.

"What to be over?" Atem asks me, resting his head in his hand as he watches me slither under my blankets.

"This feeling, being away from everything..." I yawn and burrow into my pillow "being someone who matters."

"You are always someone who matters." Atem says to me. I shake my head.

"Not always." I let my eyes drift shut, thankfully, Atem left it alone. I just don't have the energy to argue with him. Answering all of his questions about the plane and why we were leaving Egypt was enough to drive me up a wall.

"Sleep well, Nuni." Atem whispers.

....

            "Nuni!" the peace shatters. My trip is over and I no longer matter. I roll over and find my computer chair empty.

"Was it a dream?" I look down at the upside down pyramid hanging from my neck. "Egypt wasn't a dream." I tell myself firmly. I glance at the empty desk chair "but maybe..."

"Nuni!" That voice grates against my nerves. I glance at my clock, it's three in the morning. I've only been a sleep for a little over an hour. I groan and push my blankets away.

"What!" I call back.

"Nuni." My mom shoves my door open, she staggers in, her face is flushed, her hair a mess.

"What do you want." I groan.

"When did you get home?" she asks genuinely confused. I grit my teeth against my irritation. "About an hour ago." I gripe "no thanks to you."

"Well... why didn't you tell me you needed a ride?" she slurs her words, she sways on her feet and I just want her to go away.

"Who is this?" Atem's voice would have startled me, had I not been too tired to be startled.

"My mother." I grumble the time zones change and the jet lag getting to me.

"This is you mother?" Atem asks, his brows furrow in disbelief. "but she's..." he trails off.

"Please go away." I sigh. "I want to sleep, you can yell at me tomorrow."

"Fine." She throws her hands up, staggering to the side. "be that way then." She yells stumbling down the hall. "f***'n be that way." Something breaks in the kitchen but I am just too tired. I just can't tonight with her.

            I breath a sigh and lay back on the bed.

"Nuni..." Atem's voice is gentle compared to hers, he's actually got a really nice voice.

"What is it, Atem?" I curl back under my blankets.

"Why is she like that?" He asks. I can feel him staring at me again.

"Your guess is as good as mine." I pull my legs up to my chest and burrow beneath the blankets.

"But she's so... and you are nothing like that." He says firmly.

"Please, Atem." I beg him "I don't want to talk about her or anything else right now."

"I'm sorry." Atem murmurs, his voice a lullaby in and of itself. "you need rest, I will be silent now."

The room is enveloped in silence. I breath a relieved sigh and smile.

No one ever grants me this wish. "Thank you, Atem."

Sleep comes easily.