Small Moments
Luna woke me at three AM, crying.
Not the quiet tears of grief I'd grown accustomed to, but the messy, hiccupping sobs of a child who'd had a nightmare.
I found her tangled in her blankets, her stuffed wolf clutched at her chest, tears streaming down her face.
"Mama," she whimpered when she saw me. "I had a bad dream."
Not a prophetic vision. Not a strategic concern. Just a nightmare.
"Come here, baby." I climbed into bed with her, pulling her into my arms. She was shaking. "Tell me about it."
"Everyone left. All my students. They said I wasn't a good teacher because I'm not powerful anymore. And then you left too. Said you didn't need a weak daughter." Luna buried her face against me. "I was all alone and no one wanted me."
My heart broke. "Luna, that's not real. Tha
