The bed groans a bit at my size, and I adjust the pillow for my back, leaning against the headboard like Sophie. She doesn't seem to notice, preoccupied with adjusting the laptop near the foot of the bed, so we can both see the screen.
Hitting play, she leans back and looks up at me, "If you don't want to watch this, we can find something else. This is just a comfort movie of mine..."
I'm curious now, and it only takes me a moment to recognize what movie she put on.
And I'm beyond thrilled.
"It's okay?" she asks, and I nod my head, smiling widely. This breaks the hesitant expression on her face, and she smiles right back at me.
"More than okay, it's perfect," I reply, feeling my heart thump a little faster in my chest. "And I'm counting this as our first movie night—even though it's still technically day. Still counts."
Sophie just keeps smiling before turning back to the movie. It takes me a second longer to tear my eyes from her happy face.
"One way or another, though, every human being is unique, for better or for worse..."
???
Sophie falls asleep fast.
One minute, she was laughing at Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood as they tried to wrestle his glued hat off his head, and the next, her head was gently hitting my shoulder. I was concerned for a brief moment when I looked over, worried something was wrong, but then I saw her eyes closed, lashes fanned against her cheeks, her entire expression slack with peace. Asleep, the deep kind of sleep, the kind that only comes when you finally feel safe and can let go.
And if that didn't make me feel good, that she's finally settled and feels safe with me.
Surely, she'd be more comfortable lying down instead of leaning on my shoulder, but I find that I can't move. I'm being selfish, Iknowthat, but... her warmth is soaking into my side, and her breath is a soft rhythm I can feel against my arm.
So, instead, I just watch her. Her nose twitches slightly in her sleep, the tiniest little crinkle between her brows appearing for amoment, like she's confused in her dream. Then it fades, and a small, sleepy smile tugs at the corner of her lips, barely there, but real enough to make me smile.
She sleeps just like Plot—those little facial twitches, like her dreams are playing out across her face, and I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing.
She's so damn adorable it makes my chest ache.
The movie fades into the background because all I can focus on is the woman beside me.
A couple of minutes later, I hear a buzz, and I see my phone light up with a text. When I grab it, I see that it’s from my mom.
Mom: Everything OK?
She's not feeling well.
I’m gonna stay
make sure she's alright.
Mom: Take care of our little dove
Send me her address.
I'll order food for you both.
I reply with my thanks and send Sophie's address, then text Tonya an update on Sophie, but she must be tattooing because she doesn't respond right away. Putting the phone back on the table, the movement must disturb Sophie, because I feel her shift slightly against me. Sure enough, her lashes flutter as she blinks her eyes open slowly, like she's trying to remember where she is.
My breath catches when she looks up at me, and a radiant, sleepy smile curves across her pretty lips.
"Hi," she whispers, voice scratchy with sleep. "You stayed."
"Of course I did," I grin at her and nod toward the movie still playing on the laptop. "Missed a bit of the movie though, want me to rewind?"
"Sorry. Totally ruined our movie day,” she croaks, rubbing the rest of the sleep from her eyes.
