Page 9 of Don’t Open Your Eyes

“Everything okay?” Annabelle asked.

She gave Annabelle an annoyed look and sighed loudly. “Fine! I’m not a baby. I don’t need you to read to me.”

Olivia looked up at her mother. “What’s her problem?”

Annabelle didn’t answer but called in to Scarlett. “Okay, honey. I’ll come by and say good night afterward.”

Olivia jumped into her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.

“Scarlett’s been really grumpy lately.”

“Maybe she’s tired.” But Annabelle was concerned. She’d noticed it, too, and had chalked it up to her being a teenager. But now she wondered if something else was going on. The one time Annabelle could always count on Scarlett’s guard being down was at night. Annabelle enjoyed the bedtime routine, when the girls would tell her about their days or confide things they were worrying about. If she took the new job, she might not be around to notice these kinds of things.

“Mooom!”

“What, honey?”

Olivia raised her eyebrows. “Are you gonna read? You’re staring into space.”

“Yes, of course.” She picked up The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. “Let’s see, where were we? Oh yes, chapter three.” She began to read, and blessedly for a little while, her thoughts were only on the story and taking delight in Olivia’s reactions. After half an hour, she closed the book and stood, leaning over to kiss her daughter on the cheek.

“Good night, love. Sweet dreams.”

“You too, Mommy,” Olivia said, her eyes already closing.

Annabelle passed Scarlett’s room, then went back. She hesitated for a moment and then knocked.

“Come in,” Scarlett called.

“Is everything okay, sweetie?”

Scarlett shook her head. Annabelle moved closer to the bed and saw that her eyes were filling. She sat on the edge of the bed and took her daughter’s hand.

“Honey, what’s the matter?”

Scarlett groaned. “I hate social media!” She picked up her phone, swiped a few times, then handed it to her mother. “I posted this pic yesterday, and I only have ten likes. Luna posted practically the same picture, and she got like fifty.”

It was a selfie of Scarlett holding a Starbucks cup. Her lips were puckered in that teen selfie way, and her cheekbones looked more defined than usual. She must have used a filter.

Annabelle put the phone down. “Honey, social media is all about facades. It’s not a true barometer of anything.”

Scarlett raised her eyebrows. “That’s rich, coming from you. Aren’t you, like, the queen of social media at your job?”

“That’s why I’m telling you, it’s all curated images that often have no resemblance to reality. It’s a tool to sell things, yes, but it’s dangerous to tie your self-esteem to it. Maybe you should take a break from it for a while.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes. “You don’t get it, Mom. That’s how it is now. It’s all about how many followers and likes you get. I usually get a lot more.”

“I’m sorry. I guess I forgot how tough high school can be. We didn’t have to contend with social media, but I know what it’s like to want to be more popular.”

Scarlett’s brow creased. “Weren’t you the homecoming queen or something?”

“Yes, but when I was a freshman, I had braces and frizzy hair. All I wanted was to look like Maggie Brown, the most popular girl in school.”

Scarlett smiled. “I didn’t know that. I thought you were always this beautiful and confident.”

Annabelle brushed a hair from Scarlett’s forehead, touched by her words. “You’re sweet. But no, I was kind of shy. You are beautiful inside and out.”

Scarlett leaned forward and surprised her with a hug. “Thanks, Mom.” She leaned back in her bed. “Gotta get back to my homework.”