Page 59 of Happily Ever After

Sophie thought about it. “Nothing. I think I just need it to be quiet.”

“Do you want the television off?” Essie asked. She could just as easily watch it in the bedroom.

“No, it’s fine.”

So, essentially, Sophie wanted Essie to stop talking. That hurt, but Essie understood Sophie wasn’t feeling well, so she let the conversation drop there. She turned the television down slightly, hoping that would help.

Maple put her head down and closed her eyes. Essie wondered if she should just go to bed herself. She could put the TV on in there and leave Sophie on her own, which seemed to be what she wanted.

Sophie leaned back against the couch cushions, eyes drifting shut. Essie stayed where she was, checking on her every few minutes.

It wasn’t long before Sophie shifted again, curling slightly toward the arm of the couch. Her breathing evened out, deepening as she drifted into sleep.

Essie smiled softly. A nap should help. She gave it a couple of minutes, then she moved closer and draped a light throw blanket over Sophie’s stretched out legs, careful not to wake her. Then Essie sat at the other end of the couch, leaving a reasonable distance between them.

Maple stood and stretched, then came over to Essie. She patted the couch beside her, away from Sophie. Maple hopped up, curled into a circle, and settled in pressed against Essie’s leg.

She watched the show without paying much attention to it, her thoughts drifting. She thought about Frank, about the update she should give him on Sophie maybe not staying. She thought about how much she wished he were here, how reliable he always was when things felt uncertain.

She thought about how young Sophie looked when she slept.

After a while, Sophie shifted again, murmuring something under her breath. Her legs extended even further and came to rest against Essie’s thigh.

Essie froze.

She didn’t dare move, even though the itch was there. Between Maple and Sophie, she was pinned. She would persevere. She’d sat through longer PTA meetings in far less comfortable positions.

And this mattered more.

She stayed like that, without moving, until the television show ended and another began. Outside, a car passed. At the sound, Maple lifted her head, then put it right back down. It was getting late.

Sophie snored softly. Eventually, maybe an hour later, Sophie stirred and blinked awake, looking confused for a moment, like she didn’t know where she was.

“Oh,” she said quietly, pulling her legs in. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

Essie smiled. “You didn’t.”

Sophie rubbed her face and glanced around. “How long was I out?”

“About an hour or so,” Essie said. “How do you feel?”

“Still not great,” Sophie admitted. “But less like I’m going to throw up.”

Essie nodded. “That’s good.”

Sophie took another bite of the toast Essie’d made. This time, it seemed to go down all right. She sipped her ginger ale.

“If I stay, I don’t want to make all kinds of plans just yet,” Sophie said suddenly. “Nothing about doctors or talking about timelines or any of that. Is that okay?”

Essie met her gaze, knowing there was no way anyone could force Sophie to do anything she didn’t want to. “It is.”

“I know you’re probably thinking about a million things.”

“I am,” Essie said honestly. “But they don’t need to be acted on tonight.”

Sophie exhaled, relief flickering across her face. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”