The next thing I know, I wake in the wee hours of the morning to find that the house is totally quiet. Unfortunately, the silence spooks me, and I can’t get back to sleep. I reluctantly turn on the bedside light and search on the floor for the book I’m reading. I know from experience that trying to sleep when you’re wide awake is a recipe for frustration.
I’m totally involved in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit when I hear a noise of footsteps in the hallway. I wait in silence, expecting maybe Ashley or Poppi. Wrong. The door creaks open and Lenore’s head appears in the gap.
“Hey,” she says quietly. “Are you awake?”
I hesitate for a moment, and then say, “Yeah, I’m awake. Come in.”
Lenore comes in dressed in a silky robe over a white nightgown. No doubt she is staying the night, probably
