Mr. Way - Frerard

“I want my mommy!” Bandit wailed. I had been trying to get her to sleep for almost an hour. Nothing I said could convince her to get into bed.

“Come on, Bandit, be a good girl. It’s getting real late! You need to sleep, sweetheart,” I said in a soothing tone. This did nothing to persuade the small child.

“Do you want some juice?” I asked her. Bandit simply continued to screech.

I had reached my last resort. I descended the stairs and picked up my cell phone. I dialled the familiar number and waited.

“Hello?” Frank said when he picked up.

“Bandit won’t sleep. She wants her Mom and nothing I can do will make her get into bed,” I told Frank wearily. “Will you come over?”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

I waited for him to arrive, my head in my hands. Soon, I heard a knock on the door, and I leaped up from where I was sitting. I opened the door and he stepped in. The first thing I noticed was the tattoos that ran up and down his bare arms. Despite the situation, I itched to touch them. I tore my mind away.

Frank wrapped his arms around me and squeezed, and I was grateful for the hug. “She’s upstairs?” he asked. I nodded, and followed him up there.

Frank entered the spare room that now belonged to Bandit, and I stood in the doorway and watched.

“Hey, B. What’s the matter?” he asked softly.

“I want my mommy,” she cried.

“Your mommy isn’t here right now, okay? So you have to be a big, brave girl like I know you are.” Bandit’s cries softened to a whimper.

“What if I make you a deal,” Frank said to Bandit. She looked at him inquisitively.

“Will you go to sleep if you get in daddy’s bed with us? And we can cuddle nice and quietly until you get to sleep, yeah?” She nodded slowly, and Frank took her by the hand.

I was surprised to find that the scene had made me emotional. Frank was so good with her, I didn’t know how he managed it. The next thing I knew, I was in my bed with Bandit and Frank, the young girl lying in between us, quickly dropping off to sleep.

‘Thank you’ I mouthed to Frank. He smiled in return and I took his hand. I didn’t know what I’d do without him.

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