Leo lay on the large bed in Rachel's chambers, his small face furrowed and twitching as he moved and shook in his sleep. The terror of the night before played on a loop in his dreams: the mean man's snarl, Mama's injury, the loud BANG.
He could not take it anymore. He jolted awake with a gasp, his little heart pounding against his ribs
The dream was gone, but the fear wasn't. This wasn't his room with the starry nightlight. The sheets smelled like Mama, but her side of the bed was cold and empty.
His eyes, wide and confused, scanned the dark room. Where was Mama?
"Mama?" Leo called out, his voice small. A terrifying thought seized him: What if the mean man got her? What if he were all alone?
No answer.
His breath hitched. A small, terrified sob escaped him, then another, building unt
