Romantic love story

Chapter Twenty-seven: The Strong of Heart

Dreams wore away at Madison. They took a little here, a little there, like waves carrying away earth as they weathered a helpless shore. She wanted to move, but had no legs, wanted to scream but had no voice. Even now, she knew they were only dreams. They had to be, or else Izzy wouldn't keep shaking her to ask if she was all right.

"Open your eyes." Izzy shook as Madison blinked and Izzy's face came into view. "Are you in pain? Do you want me to get Terry?"

"I'm... okay."

"You don't sound okay." The dim glow of the night-light wasn't enough to hide the concern in Izzy's face. "I know I haven't been your roommate for very long, but this is the first night I've had to wake you from bad dreams. Do you get them often?"

Not wanting to answer, Madison gave a noncommittal shrug. Honestly, she didn't usually get this many in one night. Of course, she also didn't usually sleep this close to someone who could wake her before the bad dream turned into a full-blown nightmare. So maybe that explained it.

And yes. Madison was not stupid. She knew the man sleeping in the master bedroom down the hall might have something to do with it. Her insides screamed that she was setting herself up for trouble. Only an absolute idiot loved a man.

Pain radiated from her palms and she found she'd been sleeping with her hands balled into tight fists. Her nails had dug hard into her skin and she wondered if she was bleeding.

As Madison tried to open her fingers, Izzy seemed to understand and took her hand.

"Let me see if I can help." Izzy pried the fingers open, turned the hand into the night-light then closed her palm over Madison's. "The skin's not broken, so that's a mercy. If I let you go back to sleep, do you think you'll stop whimpering?"

Wet gathered in Madison's eyes as Izzy un-fisted the other hand. She'd been whimpering? How pathetic could she get? And in front of Izzy?

"Now, now," Izzy patted Madison's cheek, gave her a kind smile that had Madison smiling through some freshly shed tears, "if you need me, I'll stay up with you until the dreams go away. Are you cozy enough?" Izzy smoothed the top comforter, pulled it up around Madison's shoulders then leaned around the couch and adjusted the hood to the night-light so it shone just a bit brighter.

"Thank you," Madison said quietly.

"Do you mind if I talk?" Izzy asked, and Madison shook her head.

"I remember once when Debbie had a bad dream-- a nightmare really, and she couldn't bring herself to close her eyes and go back to sleep. John was away on a business trip in Japan at the time, and the girls were missing him terribly. They were only two years old, and it was late at night and Debbie was too afraid to sleep in case her nightmare came back. I remember Terry carried Debbie to the rocking chair, held her like a baby and sang 'Jesus Loves Me' until she fell asleep. With Terry to watch over her, the nightmare didn't stand a chance." Izzy sighed, and squeezed Madison's hand. "I remember thinking those girls were so blessed to have Terry in their lives."

Calm settled over Madison. She felt safer somehow, and when Izzy asked if she could sleep without whimpering now, Madison felt she could, even though she hadn't remembered whimpering in the first place.

"Please, God," Izzy prayed as she took both Madison's hands, "don't let the bad dreams come back. Let her rest tonight. In Jesus' name, amen." Izzy brushed the hair from Madison's eyes, then tucked her in. "Try to get some sleep."

"Thank you, Izzy." Madison nestled into the blankets, reached for the book that had been pushed off to one side, and hugged it close. As she drifted off, her mind held the warm image of Terry as he rocked Debbie and quietly sang the lullaby.