The Singer's Girl

Chapter 6

TAYLOR'S POV

"Just try to go to sleep." I told Caroline after lunch, she had been up for way too long and it was starting to show. She was getting grouchy and snippy.

"No." She whined and I turned around to face her.

"Yes, if you think that it's okay to stay up all night and then be mad at me all day, you're wrong and you're going to bed." I said. Caroline was usually really easy going when it came to doing what I say, she respected me and the only times we ever got into arguements was at times like this when sleep was far overdue.

"Come on." I said putting the last dish into the sink and leading her into my bedroom. I pulled back the comforter and let her get under the covers, while rolling her eyes. Once she was settled I walked over to the door and shut off the lights.

"Night, Caroline." I said even though it was the middle of the day. I shut the door to my room and went into the living room, I'd been waiting to be alone since I picked her up this morning. And throughout the morning her attitude and behavior had progressively gotten worse. I was at peace for maybe 10 minutes when it was interrupted.

"Taylor?" I heard Caroline call from my room.

"Hmm?" I said back, just loud enough to be heard through the door.

"Will you come here?" She called back. I got up off of the couch and opened my bedroom door. Caroline was laying there just like she was when I left her there 10 minutes ago.

"What?" I said, showing my irratation with her a little too much.

"Will you stay in here?" She said in a quiet, insecure voice that made my heart melt and I forgot for a second what I was even mad about.

"Care, I don't need to take a nap." I said, hoping she would understand.

"Will you just be in here with me though?" She asked looking at me with her green eyes. I finally gave in and shut the door behind me. I sat down in the armchair beside the bed and opened up a book to read so I had something to do while Caroline napped.

She rolled over so she was facing me, even though her eyes were closed.

It was still weird for me to think that I was this girl's mom. I had a daughter, a real daughter. And she was beautiful, and she loved me. And I loved her, no matter how irratated I got when she was grouchy.

Soon I was lost in my book while Caroline slept. The only sounds were her slow breathing and the turning of pages. I started to feel my eyes go heavy in the soothing environment, and I almost fell asleep. That was until Caroline snapped me out of my daze.

Her slow breathing had started to pick up pace and she would twitch every so often. I knew what was going on, but I sat there watching. I imagined what she might be feeling and seeing in this nightmare, it involved her dad, that was for sure. So I sat there, watching her watch him suffer and I saw her facial expressions get more and more intense.

And I wanted to cry, she looked so miserable laying there, feeling a deep type of pain that not even I have felt before. Yet I couldn't bring myself to wake her up and scare her more than she already was. The situation reminded me of the game Perfection that I used to play when I was a kid. You had to put all of the little game pieces in their places before the timer ran out and the game board popped up and shot everything everywhere. And even when you knew it was coming it startled you when it happened.

I knew that she would wake up and scream, and I knew that I would be there to save the day. But I still wasn't prepared for the moment it would happen, it could be anytime, it was a waiting game. And after an especially excruciating look dashed across her face it happened. Her eyes popped open and let out tears as she yelled for me. I jumped because it frightened me at first but then I quickly put down my book and went to her side.