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The light above me flickers to life, showering myself and Ian in light. Auden isn’t in the room. I can see light peeking out from underneath the bathroom door, and I stumble to the door, grabbing the handle and throwing it open.
Auden is standing with her back to me, staring at herself in the mirror in silence. Tears glisten on her red-tinted cheeks.
“Auden,” I say, rushing to her side. “Auden, what’s wrong?” I place my hands on her shoulders, staring at her through the reflection in the mirror. When I touch her, she doesn’t flinch or acknowledge my presence at all. Her eyes are locked on something I can’t see, her body eerily still.
“Georgia,” Ian whispers from behind me. “Is it possible that she’s sleepwalking?”
I meet his gaze in the mirror before flicking my eyes back to my daughter.
“Auden, honey, are you awake?” I ask softly. My hand stops midair as I go to touch her cheek.
You’re not supposed to touch a person who is stuck in a dream.
She doesn’t answer. Instead, we watch as she opens her mouth again and lets out another shrill scream. It ends as quickly as it began, and then she’s back to staring into whatever nightmare she’s stuck in.
“Ian, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to help her!” My voice cracks. My heart is pounding fiercely in my chest as he comes up behind me and grabs my shoulders in comfort. “How do we help her?” I turn and look up into his eyes. He looks just as lost as I feel.
There’s a loud pounding on the bedroom door, making Ian and I jump in surprise.
“Georgia? Is everything okay in there?” Mrs. Foster’s voice is muffled through the door. Ian shoots me a look of panic before he rushes back into the bedroom to grab his shirt.
“Auden, sweetheart. Please wake up, baby. Please wake up,” I whisper. My words have no effect as she stands completely still in front of the mirror.
I hear the bedroom door open. “Hey, Mom. Auden is stuck in a nightmare,” Ian tells Mrs. Foster.
Mrs. Foster clicks her tongue. “What are you doing in here, Ian? You’re supposed to be in the room across the hall.” Her voice is quiet, but the disapproval rings clear, sending a slight shiver down my spine.
I step out of the bathroom. “I’m so sorry she woke you,” I whisper to Mrs. Foster. “She’s having a nightmare, I think. Ian came over to see what was wrong just a minute before you did,” I lie.
Mrs. Foster crosses into the room and peers into the bathroom at Auden. “You used to sleepwalk all the time like this. Just give her a few moments, and I’m sure she’ll snap out of it.”
“Do you remember how you used to wake me up? She’s never done this before, and I’m scared to make it worse.”
Mrs. Foster gives me a soft smile as she walks over and places her hand on mine, squeezing gently. “Oh, honey, this isn’t something to work yourself up about. Most of the time sleepwalking happens when you’re in a new place or there’s more stressors in your life than normal. I think we can all agree that fits this situation,” she says with a gruff laugh. “Just make sure you lock this door, both doors if you can. Sleepwalkers can hurt themselves, so we don’t want her to be able to get to the staircase when she’s in this state.”
“What can we do to wake her up?” Ian asks.
Mrs. Foster releases my hand and walks past me, then into the bathroom toward Auden. Ian and I both watch as she places her hand on Auden’s shoulders and rubs her back lightly. “Auden, honey. We are going to walk you back to bed. Okay?” Her voice is soft and soothing as she gently turns Auden around.
Auden still doesn’t respond verbally, but she takes slow steps with Mrs. Foster’s guidance, and within moments, Auden is tucked right back into her, her eyes falling shut shortly after.
Mrs. Foster turns and smiles at us. “See, it’s as simple as that. Gentle touches and a soothing voice. You never want to make loud noises or try to jostle her awake when she’s in this state. She can easily injure herself by panicking and running. Always make sure the area is clear of tripping hazards and that the doors are blocked or stay locked. I’m sure she’ll grow out of it, or it’ll stop once you’re both back home again. She most likely won’t even remember this when she wakes up tomorrow. You never remembered any of your nightmares when you had your sleep spells like this, Georgia,” she tells us. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head back home and try to get some sleep in a proper bed. Good night, Georgia. Ian, be a dear and walk me home.” Her command is polite but firm, and Ian gives me a wide-eyed look, which makes me giggle, before following his mother out.
“Thank you, Lydia,” I call out before they head down the stairs together.
It’s clear that Ian’s mom still hasn’t warmed up to the idea of me and her son together. She was never openly rude or hostile about us being together when we were teenagers, but she was never accepting of it either.
I wonder what she’ll think if she finds out that Auden is her granddaughter. Will she be ecstatic like my father was, welcoming my child into his heart with open arms? Or will she see Auden as the complication, just another reason why Ian is stuck in my life still, all these years later?
19
Georgia
Now
The fair is one of my favorite places in the world. I’ve only been twice, but both times are full of happy memories.
The aromas of fried treats and popcorn. The bright lights flashing in a hundred different directions from all the rides. I even love the smell of the petting farm, which might seem odd.
