Fletcher felt his mother nudging him, but he had a hard time fighting through the webbing of slumber to answer her. Her voice got clearer as he roused more.
“Julia’s on the phone, dear.”
He rubbed his eyes and wanted to chastise her by asking if she knew how hard it was for him to have a deep sleep without any nightmares, but something about waking to his mother’s face sparked some childhood nostalgia, and he couldn’t be mad at her. Then the comprehension that his mother had said Julia was on the phone sent a hollow shiver through his chest. He sighed, comparing Julia to Emily in a flash of images through his head, then nodded. “I’m gettin’ up.”
JuliaFletcher followed Vera into the sitting room, where he put the receiver to his ear. “’Ello?”
Julia’s voice came shrill through the earpie
