“Will it bother you to hear one, then?” Salt asked quietly.
I thought about it and shook my head.
“No. But read it in Russian first and then translate.”
He frowned. “You want to hear in Russian?”
“Yes.” I smiled at him. “I like to hear you speak it. It’s very…strong. Very guttural and masculine. I don’t know…I like the sound of it.”
“Very well.” Salt looked pleased. “Then listen, mishka. I will read to you the story of the Frog Princess.”
“Don’t you mean the Princess and the Frog?” I asked drowsily.
He shook his head. “Is Russian fairy tale, remember? Now listen…”
Listening to the sound of his deep baritone voice reading in his native language, I fell asleep …
*
And woke up screaming.
I tore myself from the grip of the nightmare, the scream of terror filling my throat.
The monster! The one with long teeth and sharp claws—it’s coming for me! It’s going to get me! No—just a nightmare. Only a bad dream…
I looked around wildly. It was the middle of the night—so black in the room I couldn’t see anything. Where was the nightlight my daddy always left on for me? Then I remembered…
It burned out. The bulb burned out and mom never got a new one. She said I was a big girl now, that I didn’t need one.
But I did need a nightlight. And I needed my big, strong daddy to comfort me. To come in and chase away the monsters like he always did when I had one of my bad dreams. But he was gone…gone for good…
My screams were replaced by sobs. I reached for someone—reached for my daddy—but I was all alone in the big room. All alone and no one would ever come to save me again. Mom was probably deep asleep like she always was when she drank her special medicine. She wouldn’t come…no one would come. I was alone. All alone…
I drew my knees up to my chest and sobbed harder. Daddy…Daddy, I miss you so much! Why did you leave me?
Suddenly feet were pounding across the carpeted floor and the door to the bedroom swung open. I saw a big, familiar shape silhouetted in the doorway, lit from behind so his face was in shadows. But I knew who it was at once.
“Daddy!” I held out my arms to him and he came to me at once and gathered me close.
“Andi?” His deep voice was uncertain but just having him near made me feel better.
“Daddy,” I sobbed, pressing close to him. “I had a nightmare. I woke up and you weren’t there. I thought…thought you were gone for good.”
“Andi…” For a moment he didn’t seem to know what to do. Then he gathered me into his arms and lifted me, cradling me like a baby against his broad, bare chest. He took me to the rocking chair and settled into it, still holding me in his lap. Then he began to rock and stroke my hair soothingly. “Is all right, little girl,” he murmured. “Is all right.”
“Why did you leave me?” I whispered against his chest. He smelled so good—so spicy and warm and the sound of his heart pounding just under my ear was wonderful. But I still had questions. “What did I do wrong to make you go? Please, tell me,” I begged through my tears. “And I swear I’ll never do it again. I swear.”
“Nothing. You did nothing. Oh, Andi…” He held me even closer and bent down to press his lips tenderly to my wet cheeks, kissing my tears away. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “So sorry you were hurt.”
“You promised not to leave me and then you left anyway,” I said accusingly. I gave a little sob. “Promise not to leave me again. Promise.”
“I promise,” he assured me, still holding me close. “I will never abandon you. This I swear, my little mishka.”
Mishka? I frowned. What was that word? My daddy never called me that before. He always called me “sweetheart” or “pun’kin.” In fact, the only man I knew who had called me that name was…
“Oh my God!” I sat up, the strange dream-state I had somehow fallen into completely shattered.
“Andi…” Salt tried to draw me back down on his lap but I struggled out of his arms.
“Salt? What did you…why did you…?”