Chapter 40

Mom

Her eyes gradually opened. This morning, she didn’t experience the typical harsh jolt that shakes her out of her sleep. It seemed more like Mother’s soft voice was gently lulling her to wakefulness while gently enticing her. Her sleepy brain slowly realized that the room was still dark. The dark blue shadows of the waning night lingered around the folds of the curtains. There was that tinge of gathering light that made the darkness somehow comfortable and cozy. She rolled over and let out a lazy yawn. It was too early to get up. She lay there, unwilling to think back on the agony of the previous night and content to simply savor the peaceful moments of sleep before the sun awoke the rest of the world and ordered everyone to resume their hectic schedules. She then realized Ares wasn’t lying next to her. She made the decision to walk into the living room to check, but to her surprise, Ares wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

Kianna asked herself, “Did he go to work so early?”<