You woke up, gasping for air as you clutched your blanket. Another nightmare. Footsteps came bounding down the hallway and you saw the hall light flooding under the closed door, settling as an incandescent blanket of yellow on the carpet. You barely managed to wipe your tears before the door burst open and Martha's disoriented figure stumbled in. Her hair was sticking up in different places, her pyjama pants were wonky with one leg rolled up and her eyes were half closed as she approached your bed.

"You were screaming... what happened? Another bad dream?" she said as she sat down and wiped your tears away, her voice soft and gentle like a break of warm sunlight on a cold day.

Before you could even say a word, she'd already settled down next to you, pulling you closer to her and running her fingers soothingly through your hair as she spoke again, "Tell me... whatever it was, I'm listening."