E I G H T Y - F I V E

Darkness shrouded the still bedroom, aside from the glint of the streetlight peeking through the curtained window. The bed squeaked as Kate rolled over, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what Colton was doing now. On the street below, the distant roar of car engines rumbled past, muffled music coming from somewhere across the road. Florence’s lullaby-singing bear hummed from the adjacent room, the fan in Paloma’s bedroom whirring noisily while the clock above her dresser ticked monotonously. Fiddling with the silky edge of the comforter, Kate exhaled, stretching across to grab her phone from the nightstand. Irritation flickered through her anxiety-ridden body at Colton’s lack of communication. Every time she felt like things were back on track, that she and Colton were heading in the right direction, it took a turn and they ended up right back where they started. She thought these kinds of arguments were behind them, but it was clear Colton was still struggling