As soon as I was done, I resumed staring at my notes.
A while later, Matthew returned to get the plates. His soft "good girl" coiled a tiny bit of warmth in my chest, but it did nothing to dispel the icy chill.
It took some time, but eventually it did. To keep myself occupied, I read over my notes once more, turning the pages every few minutes.
It wasn't until Mathew walked in and turned on the light that I realized it was becoming dark outside. I blinked rapidly against the unexpected brightness, but I kept my gaze averted as he came closer.
He said, "Brush your teeth and get ready for bed."
It was too early for that, but I wasn't planning on doing anything anyhow. It seemed like a decent plan to go to sleep.
Once again, I gave a satisfied nod.
I followed his advice and nestled mys
