“That okay. I'll go find somewhere else to sleep."Her fingers wrap around my arm. "You don't have to go anywhere. I feel safe with you.”

“Feel how tight my arms are around you?" he said. "This is how tight I'll be holding you. No matter where you go or where I go, remember how tight I'm holding you.”

“Now turn around and go to sleep. I'm warning you that I plan to sleep with you in my arms all night long.”

“I shouldn't have stayed as long as I did, but I wanted to hold her while she slept. I wanted her to know I wasn't going anywhere. That she was safe with me. In my arms.”

“I didn't want her to go, ever. I wanted Echo in my bed every night with my arms and legs wrapped around her.”

“I reach over and stroke her hair. When I do, a few of the strands fall off in my fingers. I pull my hand back and slowly wrap them around my finger as I walk to my room and pick my purple hair clip up off the floor. I open the clip and place the strands of hair inside and snap it shut. I place the clip under my bedroom pillow and I go back to my mother’s room. I slide into the bed beside her and wrap my arms around her. She finds my hand and we interlock fingers as we talk without saying a single word.”