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The double bed in Gus and Uncle Curtis’ guest room almost felt foreign to Wynonna. She had spent the last 6 months at St. Victoria’s and was given a vacation for Christmas. She got to be with her aunt and uncle and sister and Wynonna thought she would feel more happy. She hated St. Victoria’s, but being back with familiar faces that she loved and sleeping in a comfortable bed again only made the weight on her chest increase and she hated that.
Waverly was so excited to see her big sister. She had turned seven in the months Wynonna was gone and was devastated when Wynonna couldn’t visit her on her big day. They had to settle for a too short phone call. All day Waverly stuck like glue to Wynonna’s side with a smile that never left her face. Wynonna let Waverly show her around her new room that she decorated all by herself and let Waverly talk her ear off.
Wynonna said please and thank you to Gus and Uncle Curtis when necessary and mostly kept her witty jokes to herself. There was a part of her that hoped they would allow her to come stay with them if she could show them she could behave. She helped Gus with the dishes and Uncle Curtis move firewood.
She tossed and turned in her bed eventually staring up at the ceiling thinking about Willa and her daddy. It hurt to think about them so she quickly tried to think about something else. Luckily, the sound of a creaking door distracted her from her thoughts. She propped herself up on her elbows and sighed when she saw Waverly in the doorway. Wynonna plopped down back to her pillow. “What’s wrong, Waves?”
Waverly was dressed in a white nightgown, her hair in a messy braid. “I can’t sleep.”
Tiny footsteps made their way across the wood floor and soon Waverly stood next to Wynonna’s bed peering down at her big sister. “Nightmares?”
Waverly scratched at her eye. “Do you get them too?”
Wynonna hesitated but finally nodded her head quickly. Waverly didn’t ask and climbed up onto the bed forcing Wynonna to shove over. Waverly climbed under the covers and Wynonna let her rest her head on her stomach. She gently stroked her hair. “I don’t want you to leave again.”
“I’ll be back in the Spring.”
“That’s a long time. I miss you a lot.”
Wynonna felt tears prickle behind her eyes. She often thought about Waverly at St. Victoria’s and her heart broke every time. Little Waverly was growing up without a mom, a dad and both her big sister’s. Wynonna knows Gus and Uncle Curtis are doing a good job, but it still hurts. “I miss you too, baby girl.”
She felt Waverly grip onto her night shirt. “Everyone keeps leaving or dying.”
“I’m not totally gone. You still got me. One day it will be different,” Wynonna says feeling guilty, not knowing if she was being truthful. “One day we will live together and we’ll be together so much you’ll get sick of me.”
“Never.”
Waverly moved and she was side by side with her sister. They both stared up at the ceiling in a comfortable silence. “I’m sorry about daddy,” Wynonna suddenly blurted out swallowing around the lump forming in her throat.
Waverly wrapped her arm around Wynonna’s torso. “I know it was an accident,” she said softly. She gave Wynonna a peck on the cheek. “I love you, Wynonna.”
Wynonna cleared her throat and hugged her sister tight holding onto the light in her life amidst all the darkness.