I stayed still for a moment and listened.
Another quiet whisper came from the hallway.
I got out of bed and slowly opened my bedroom door.
Tyler was lying outside Mom’s room beneath his dinosaur blanket.
But he wasn’t sleeping.
He was staring directly at the door handle.
One small hand was gripping the edge of his pillow.
Then I heard him whisper to himself.
“I won’t fall asleep tonight.”
I almost said something.
Then he added, so quietly I nearly missed it,
“I won’t let Uncle Jason do it to Grandma again.”
I froze where I stood.
“Tyler?”
He jumped so hard that his blanket slipped off his body.
I hurried toward him.
“What did you just say?”
His eyes immediately filled with tears.
“Nothing.”
“Tyler.”
He glanced nervously toward Mom’s bedroom.
“Mom, promise you won’t tell anyone.”
I lowered my voice.
“What won’t you let Uncle Jason do again?”
His mouth began to tremble.
Every terrible possibility my mind could create seemed to arrive at once.
