After an uneventful night, the women had successfully tucked two of the girls in their beds. While Kaila and Faye went down rather easily for the night, Lauren was now wide awake as her naps earlier gave her energy.
She laid between the couple in their large bed, a classic movie played while Lauren leaned into Lain's touch as she ran her fingers through the young ones hair.
It wasn't until three movies and two bottles later did Lauren's sleep catch back up with her.
She snored peacefully as she slept. Keeping the women company in their bed tonight they too found themselves asleep. And as the night passed the house was quiet. There were hardly any sounds around that echoed through their halls besides the loud crickets from outside were singing their nightly melodies.
But as the night grew older one of the little girls alone in her bed woke. Rubbing her eyes, the girl with long blond hair looked out her window catching sight of the beautiful moon staring back at her.
Climbing out of her comfortable bed, Kaila wobbled over to the window getting a better look at the nature that surrounded her. Feeling something coming over her she looked to make sure her door was shut before unlocking the latch on her window as she pushed it open.
Feeling a gust of breeze hit her face she breathed in the cool air. Taking a seat she rested her arms on the window seal as she looked longingly outside.
For two long and dreadful years she dreamed about a moment like this.
A quiet and peaceful moment where nothing bothered her. Not a command, not a threat, and with nobody to obstruct her freedoms.
In this moment the only thing that she cared about was the glistening water below that swayed with the wind. The soft noises of the nocturnal creatures prowling around the crisp grass calling out to their fellow peers. Or the whooshing whistle of the wind blowing through the tall pine trees.
There couldn't have been a more perfect moment.
Staring out into the night she lost track of time. Soon moments became hours.
Flooding her memory was the endless amounts of joy and laughter her previous day had provided.
"Couldn't sleep either?" Her shoulders jumped as she spun around seeing Lain had made her way in. Guess she was too caught up in her thoughts to hear the woman opening her creaky door.
Walking over in her nightgown she sat besides the girl on the floor as she looked out her open window too. "It's fine this time. But next time I'd prefer if you didn't open this. It's a long way down you know." She said in a tone that allowed Kaila to realize she hadn't gotten into trouble.
"Sorry...I...I couldn't sleep." Kaila muttered.
"Me neither. With a combination of Lauren snoring and Nina talking in her sleep I thought I would go somewhere else." She sighed.
Kaila giggled at the thought.
"How long have you been up for?" Lain asked as she pulled the girl into her side. Letting Kaila slump back into her hold Lain rubbed the girls arm comfortably.
"Just a little while."
"A little?" Lain chuckled. "I guess once a liar—always a liar." Kaila looked to her in disbelief.
'How did she know?!' She questioned as she admitted with the look on her face.
"Those bags under you're eyes suggest otherwise." The woman said as if having just read her mind.
Tensing up after being caught in her dishonesty, Kaila was took off guard as Lain laughed quietly and pulled her into her lap. "Will you ever learn not to lie to me?" She questioned playfully putting her nose up against the girls who in relief smiled back.
"It's alright. I've been up for quite some time myself." Lain said as she pulled away.
"Cause Lauren and Nina?" Kaila asked a she rested her head upon the woman's shoulder.
"Partly, but I've just been thinking is all. Trying to sort out my hopes and dreams. Makes me feel like a kid all over again, you know." She smirked. "What's one of you're dreams?" She softly asked the girl in her lap.
"I've had the same dream since I was young. But it's silly to think about now."
"Well that's just nonsense. There's no right or wrong answer to what a dream is. If it's something you want to do and something that will make you happy that's all that matters." She assured.
Taking a deep breathe Kaila let the confident nightly air guide her strength. "I want to see the sunrise, but-but not just any sunrise. I want to go and see it right when it's about to come up over the hills and you know it's coming because you can see the color of the sky changing. That moment where you see the top of the sun barely out yet. I wanna see that."
Smirking Lain kissed the top of her head. "I'm sure Nina and I can make some arrangements for that."
"Seriously?!" The girl jumped out of her seat squealing in excitement.
Chuckling Lain put her hand up to her lips. "Alright. Alright calm down girly. We wouldn't want to be waking up anyone else, now would we?" She asked rhetorically as the girl shook her head hiding her smile as she bit her bottom lip while she sat on the floor.
"So why a sunrise?" Lain asked as she leaned back against her arms.
"Cause they seem nice." She batted her eyes. "And they're one of the only things I can remember before going into...into t-that p-place." She had to hold back her disgust.
Swallowing hard Lain cautiously proceeded. "How, um, I mean how e-exactly did you end up there? I know the day I met you the that guy said that your parents owed some money. Is that true?"
Going darker in the face, Kaila looked down in her hands. "They...I...I...I dunno. I was sleeping one day and before I could understand what was happening those men were waking me up." She sniffled as tears came over her. "I...I never even saw my parents before I was yanked out of my house and brought there." She said while crying hard.
"Hey honey, no I'm sorry for bringing it up." Lain was quick to pull the girl off the floor. Laying them both down on her pink bedsheet she held Kaila close while she rubbed her back soothingly.
"I shouldn't have said anything about it Kaila. I'm sorry." She apologized as a feeling of guilt hit her. "It sounds horrible what they did to you. Nobody should've ever had to go through that."
Letting her cry out her pain, Kaila snuggled as close to Lain as she could as she buried her face into the woman's chest. The soft silk of her nightgown was made wet as the girls tears sank into it.
Such a twist this night has been.
By the time her tears settled, Kaila woke up laying on top of Lain. Her face had deep red marks where her tears had resided all night long. A bright streak of light shining in from her open window lit up her entire room.
'When did I fall asleep?' She questioned tiredly as she half didn't care. Too tired to move she laid exhausted on the woman's chest just sinking into her warm embrace.
"Mommy?" A curious little girl wandered in with her monkey printed onesie on. Seeing Lain and Kaila laying together on the large bed, Faye giggled as she ran over climbing up next to them. "Found you." Instinctively Lain wrapped her arm around Faye's body pulling her closer to the two of them.
Humming in peace Faye laid awake content enough to be included. Blinking her eyes open Kaila met Faye's eyes staring at her with furrowed eyebrows. "What's wrong?" The girl asked poking to the red markings on Kaila's cheeks.
But Kaila couldn't find the words to answer her. In fact no words at all were registering in her own brain, expect those spoken by others. Unsure of what to do, Kaila began to panic when the uneasy feeling of no control took over her.
"Uh oh..." Faye looked worried as Kaila began to squirm as soft whimpers escaped her mouth. Trying to move out of Lain's hold, she found that even in her sleep Lain was stronger.
With one feisty girl moving up a storm on her chest, Lain soon woke after catching sight of both girls surrounding her. Her instincts kicked in as soon as she heard a sound of distress from one of them.
Kaila was face deep in the woman's chest as a fresh amount of tears burned her red face. "Baby, why's Kaila crying?" She turned to the only witness in the room.
But Faye shrugged. All she did was ask Kaila why her face was red. She didn't understand why it upset the girl so much. 'I guess she doesn't like questions?' The girl tilted her head while Lain got to comforting her.
Repositioning so she was cradling the girl, Kaila's face never left Lain's chest. The odd feeling of security it provided kept her there.
"Hey sweetheart, why are you crying?" She asked brushing the girls messy hair out of the way.
Whining up a storm Kaila was still at a lost. She didn't understand what was happening herself, all she knew was that she wasn't able to speak. She knew she could. The vocabulary was in her head, the ability to produce sound was in her throat, all that was missing was the effort.
Realizing it was her who didn't want to speak, Kaila let her panic come to an end as she rested while Lain pat her bottom.
Wanting to cry herself, Faye moved even closer to Lain while Kaila's fit went on. "Promise I didn't do it." She told the woman as her voice cracked and her eyes became glossy.
Pressing a kiss onto Faye's cheek, Lain knew her girl enough to know that she meant it. "I know you didn't do anything honey. Kaila just had a hard night." She tried to reason as best she could. "Why don't you help me make mama, Laur, and Kay some breakfast this morning?" She asked to help Faye take her mind off Kaila.
Nodding tiredly Lain moved out of the bed with Kaila on her hip as she grabbed her other girls hand. "What shall we make today?" She asked.
"Muffins!" Faye clapped.
"For breakfast? How about something else?"
"Cookies!"
Still shaking her head Lain insisted. "Something else that isn't a treat."
"Pickles!" Faye broke out in laughter after having seen Lain's face of horror.
"You know what mommy will pick." She said aloud. "And remind me never to let you pick what to eat again." She scrunched her nose to herself as she said softly.
Pulling out some ingredients a different option was on the menu today. French toast with sausage. "Wash your hands. I'll be right back." Lain instructed as she walked out of the room with Kaila.
Going into the living space Lain looked at the girl resting on her chest. "Kaila, can you look up at me please." She asked of the girl gently. Seeing how innocent and wide her eyes appeared behind the sadden face Lain smiled to herself.
"Hi baby." She pressed her lips up against the girls forehead. "Mommy's going to set you down to play in here while I get breakfast made for that little tummy of yours." She cooed playfully while Kaila flared her arms around.
Partly from being left here while Faye got to help cook, but mainly because the way Lain spoke to her made her fuzzy brain only deepen.
Yesterday was fun, last night was rough, but today was just filled with unexpected turns.
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Let me know what you think. Thanks Lexx signing off