Kris heard someone come into the room behind her, but she didn’t turn around. She held Alexi’s hand in one of hers, in the other hand she held a book. She’d been reading to Alexi for hours now, only stopping to go out to the bathroom and to get more coffee. She kept her head bent and focussed on the words as she read.
Alexi opened her eyes and looked to where her mother stood watching Kris. She’d not noticed Alexi was awake yet. She’d been keeping her eyes closed, just listening to Kris’s voice, letting her soothing tone lol her in and out of sleep. But now she watched her mother and waited for the eruption. None came. Her mother had a strange expression on her face as she leaned against the door jam and listened to Kris. Alexi closed her eyes again and fought the pain and nausea.
“Shh
