the clock now reads 11:39 pm. your paper is due in 20 minutes and you're stuck on the last paragraph. you sigh heavily and take your glasses off, placing them on the table and cupping your face in your hands. just a few seconds of rest, you think, and then you'll go back to typing.

“baby?” lottie’s hushed voice calls out, sounding small and weak.

you blink a few times, thinking it’s in your head. god, how long did you rest for? you lazily turn your head towards the door and see lottie’s blurry outline in the dim light. “yeah?” you rasp, licking your dry lips and wiping your tired eyes. she doesn’t say anything for a few moments which makes you alert. you blindly reach for your glasses and squint your eyes at her. “lott, are you okay?”

“don’t get up,” she says meekly after noticing you back up your chair. she begins shuffling towards you, eyes red and arms carrying her childhood stuffed animal. “i had another bad dream. i just… i needed to know if you were real.”

your heart shatters at her words and you pull her down onto your lap by the sleeve of her pajama top. she presses her plush in between your chests and wraps her arms around your neck, crying softly as you rub small circles on her lower back.