You Belong To Me || ✔️

-5-

The movie was about a dragon making friends with a little girl. Personally I wasn't into it but Tara was giggling at every little part. I looked over at Alicia who was brainlessly scrolling through her phone. I then looked over at Ray, and he was looking at me.

I turn red and then turn away. He handed me a slip of paper, and it looked like a number. Oh geez, I think to myself. Ray is really sweet and cute, but he's not someone I can see myself with. I turned back toward the movie and pretended to watch, but out the corner of my eye I watched Ray looking over multiple times.

Finally the movie ended. Tara fell asleep half way through, and my phone read 8:13 pm. It was past her bedtime and she was exhausted. I pick her up in my arms and gather all the trash and carry it in the large popcorn bucket.

"Here, let me help," said Ray.

He reached for the trash and for Tara's bag. We make our way down the isle and go straight out the doors. I toss Alicia the keys and tell her to start the car. I figured Ray would want to talk and I wanted to thank him for paying for the movie anyways.

"Thanks for the movie, that was really kind of you," I say to him.

"It was my pleasure, honestly. It's nice to know someone in this town, I won't be completely alone." Said Ray.

"I, uh, actually live about 40 minutes away. Some crazy stuff happened today," I say with a nervous chuckle.

"Well, I won't pry, but text me, ok? I feel like it would be calming to know someone in Berkeley." He said with a shy smile.

I smiled back and gave him a polite, "Goodnight."

After I get Tara in her seat, Alicia shoots me a questionable look.

I shrug and tell her, "He's going to Berkeley, it'll be better if I knew someone going there, you know?" She nodded. We headed back to the hotel and I got Tara settled in her crib. Me and Alicia jumped on the bed and just laid there until eventually, we both fell asleep.

I woke with a start. I was breathing heavy and I look around. I'm the only one in the room, and I call out, "Alicia? Tara?" No replies. I suddenly get this feeling that someone is watching me, and I quickly look around the room. Nothing that I see, so I lay back down and try to tell myself I had a bad dream, that's why I was so shooken up. My eyes land on the corner of the room, and there seems to be a dark shadow. I blink and there it still stood. It seemed like it was getting closer, but I was frozen. I couldn't move at all. Out of nowhere, the shadow developed two dark red eyes, and within a second it was over top of me. The shadow reached out and placed it's hand over my face, and a picture of blackish gray eyes and a crooked smile took over my vision. Suddenly the eyes blinked and they turned a deep maroon color. Weirdly, I felt at eased. "Delilah, wake up," the smile whispered. "Delilah !"

I woke to the sound of Alicia saying my name. I look at her confused. "You were talking in your sleep. You seemed really distressed. And besides, it's 7. Tara needs to be at her babysitters in an hour. We should get to the house and move some of my stuff in there," she started concerned but ended with a squeal.

"Ok, up up!" I replied. I looked over to where Tara's crib was and she was standing and bouncing, trying to get out.

"Come here, baby," I said, seeing if she could somehow get out. And with that, she grabbed the side and swung herself over and landed on her butt. She started laughing, then toddled her way toward me. She's getting better at walking but she still stumbles here and there. But now I know that she's been breaking out. Every morning I would go into her room and see her playing with her toys, and I just always assumed it was Daniel taking her out. But I now know I was wrong.

"Mommy!" She babbled. "Up," she said and raised her hands above her head, signalling for me to pick her up.

I picked her up and brought her to the bathroom and started the shower. Once it was warm enough, I got in and brought Tara with me. I started doing this only recently, but I read in a blog that showering with you toddler was a way for them to learn , however that was supposed to be. So for this past month, this has been happening. I sat down in the tub and sat her down across from me.

"Hands," I say as I hold a bottle or shampoo out. I pour some in her hand and then mine. I massage it through my hair, and Tara copies me. After that, I pick her up and place her on her feet, and put her arm on the bar to the sides. "Rinse," I tell her. She places her head under the water as I've showed her before and rinsed her hair out. I smile and pick her up.

As we finish showering, I get out and set Tara inside the tub to dry off. I grab some towels and wrap one around myself and take the other to the tub where Tara was waiting and wrap her up in it while picking her up. We walk out the bathroom and get dressed, where Alicia already had everything packed up and said, "The rest is in the car, ready whenever you are."

She takes the rest of the things and walks out the doors. "Ready?" I ask Tara.

"Si!" She says with a nod.