Luke puts his other arm around my shoulder as I walk with him, because I'm still shaking from the bad dream just now.
When we finally reach Aiden's room, I see Ms. Langston sitting beside the bed, watching the boy sleep. She notices us walking in and stands up from her seat, surprised.
I speed up my pace, and as I get closer to Aiden, tears pool even more in my eyes.
Aiden is sleeping, his breathing steady, his chest heaving up and down in a relaxed rhythm. I burst into tears, covering my mouth with my hands.
He's okay. He's alright.
I have the urge to be with him at all costs. I settle myself on the bed and lie down beside him.
"I'll leave you two here with him," Ms. Langston excuses herselfbefore walking out of the room.
"Cassie," Luke whispers. His eyes soften as he watches us. It seems like he wants to say something to comfort me but doesn't know what to say.
"I'll stay here for a while," I say. "I'm worried about him."
Silence falls between us. Luke doesn't say anything as my mind starts to overthink again.
"What if he's traumatized?" I snap my head toward Luke, panic evident in my voice. "What if he's afraid of water because of this?"
"We'll work through that," Luke says without the slightest hint of doubt. "Don't worry. Aiden is a strong kid. He'll still be brave, and strong."
A soft sigh leaves my lips. I shift my attention back to Aiden. The peaceful look on his sleeping face somehow makes me calmer, like there's nothing more precious than that in this world.
I would do anything to make him feel safe. Caressing his hair, I watch him sleep.
Luke takes a seat on the other side of the bed.
"You need to have a rest too," he reminds me. "Don't worry. I'll look out for you two," he whispers, his voice shaking with emotions that I can't identify.
It's a mixture of sadness, guilt and determination.
My eyelids indeed feel heavy, and my head is still spinning although it has gotten better after seeing Aiden again.
Soon, I drift off to slee
???
My eyelids flicker, and slowly, I open my eyes. Fortunately, I didn't have a bad dream again.
To my surprise, Aiden is already awake. I notice that I put my arm around his stomach, over the bed cover, as we slept.
On the other side of the bed, Luke has lay down too. He's sleeping, facing Aiden. Luke's arm has wrapped around my waist,trapping Aiden between us.
I don't know whether Luke has realized what he's doing—it seems like he has pulled us closer to him, embracing us protectively.
Judging from the contented expression on his sleeping face, Luke doesn't seem like he's going to wake up anytime soon.
Aiden is staring at the ceiling, and my worry escalates again. How is he feeling? Is he feeling scared? Is he feeling traumatized?
A single tear forms at the corner of his eye, and my heart drops, panic overwhelming me again. But then, a small smile tugs at his lips.
Am I dreaming? Aiden is smiling, still staring at the ceiling of his bedroom.
So, the tear in his eye is a tear of joy. But, how come? Even though this sight gives me relief, I can't help but wonder why he feels happy despite the terrifying accident that has happened to him.
"Aiden," I whisper, gently stroking his hair. "Are you alright? How are you feeling?"
