CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX:Lack of Sleep
Vince woke early next morning. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t go back to sleep. Something was bothering him. Probably the shock of seeing my daughter talking to a ghost in the middle of the night.
He got up out of bed and put his bathrobe on. Liz was still fast asleep on the bed. She looked so beautiful, even in her sleep. Vince wanted just to go back and snuggle down next to her. But he couldn't relax in this state. Maybe a cup of tea would help him calm down.
He walked out of the room, shutting the door as quietly as he could behind him. Across the landing he could see in to Elsa's room. She was lying spread out on the bed with her black hair all over her face and pillow. He could hear her quiet snores from where he was standing. He had to smile a little to himself.
Elsa's alright, so why are you still stressing?
Vince softly walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, pondering what he had seen last night. He put the kettle on and squinted out of the window. The ghost wasn't anywhere in sight either...
“What are you doing up so early, Vince?”
He nearly jumped out of his skin. When he saw it was Liz, he tried to relax a little. It was useless. Liz could see right through him.
“Couldn't sleep,” he muttered.
The water in the kettle started making rushing noises as it started to boil. Was it just him or was time going quicker than usual? And did the old grandfather clock out in the hall always tick that loudly? Liz leaned on a kitchen counter next to her and crossed her arms. She looked tired and her hair was messy. Liz’s morning look usually turned Vince on, but today he had other things to think about.
“I saw our little girl talking to a ghost a couple of hours ago,” Vince said, picking up the kettle and pouring the contents into a cup. “Tea?”
Liz shook her head with little enthusiasm.
“You mean she was out in the garden? At night?”
Vince nodded grimly and put the kettle back on the stove again. He got out some milk from the fridge.
“How did she get out?”
Vince picked up his cup and took a gulp of the tea. It didn’t taste of much. He might as well have drunken hot water with milk, it wouldn’t have made much difference.
“Sneaked out when we had gone to bed, I guess.”
Liz smiled a little. “Lily used to do things like that when she was Elsa's age. I think it was just the curiosity of a six year old that made Elsa want to explore the garden at night.”
“If anything had happened to her...”
Vince put his cup down abruptly on the counter. He didn't want to think about it. He turned his back on Liz. He didn’t want her to see his shame.
Liz moved up behind Vince and put her arms around his waist. She brushed her lips against his neck softly, making him tingle all the way down to his toes.
“Don't worry, babe. She's fine. The ghost doesn't seem to be angry about it, or we would have noticed it by now.” She kissed him on the neck again. “Just try to relax and come back to bed.”
Vince sighed as Liz undid his bathrobe and stuck her warm hands under his pyjama shirt. She began to slowly massage his shoulders. He felt the tension trickle out of him as she stroked her soft hands along his back.
“Thanks, Liz,” he murmured, turning around to face her again.
He put his arms around her thin body and felt her push her body against his, letting her warmth seep into his body. Liz’s untidy hair tickled his face as he rested his head on the top of hers.
“Are you tired?” Liz asked out of the blue.
“Excuse me?”
“Do you feel like going to bed?”
“Not really -- why?”
Liz answered his question by lowering her hands so they rested firmly on his buttocks and meowed.
Vince laughed and hugged her tightly. He was suddenly very turned on by her morning look again.
“All right then,” he whispered in her ear, and they both shot up the stairs, giggling like two school girls.
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A picture of Liz and Vince having a cuddle in the kitchen. They're not in their pyjamas, but it's a picture of them nonetheless.
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