cafterhomme

“Lilah? Liiiilah,” sang the voice. “It’s time to wake up, baby,” it cooed. “Wake up for your mama.” Mom? She tried to sit up, or at least she meant to, but the room felt like it was spinning and her body was heavy and everything seemed… wrong. Where am I? She blinked slowly, coming to, an automatic response, despite the fact that she’d been blind for four years. “That’s a girl.” Gentle fingers softly stroked her cheek. “You can do it.” That voice. She knew that voice… The crazy lady from the van! Again, Lilah tried to get up, she wanted to run but she couldn’t make anything work. Her shoulders twitched and her thighs tensed, but for some reason her limbs would not respond. Maybe I’m still tied up and everything just went to sleep. “Just relax. You might feel a little woozy from your medicine, but you’re okay, Mama’s got you.” A warm pair of arms tightened around her lovingly. She felt small, like a young child cradled against her mother’s breast. Which was confusing, because…

Gretchen rocked her daughter long after the girl had unlatched from her breast, sated and slumbering with her mouth ajar. After being under sedation for so long while she was recovering, it wasn’t a surprise that Lilah had fallen asleep again so soon. Her body was used to getting a lot of rest. Gretchen didn’t mind though, she knew babies slept the days away at first. She just enjoyed their quiet time together — snuggling with her, watching her sleep, and studying her features. Occasionally she would lightly caress Lilah’s soft cream-colored cheeks, or trace the outline of her perfectly bowed pink lips or the gentle slope and slight upturn at the end of her cute little nose. She combed her fingers through the mop of loose brown curls, smoothing the locks away from Lilah’s face over and over, soothingly. Eventually, the little one began to get restless. She squirmed and scrunched, trying unsuccessfully to readjust herself and get comfortable. Luckily, before her whimpers had turned