Hmm… warm…
My eyes opened slowly. Everything looked fuzzy and bright, like the sun was tickling my eyelashes. Something cold was sitting on my forehead.
A wet towel?
I blinked. My head felt heavy, and my throat was dry. Ugh. Not nice.
Then I saw it.
A big arm. Strong and warm, wrapped around me like I was something fragile. Like a glass doll. I turned my head slowly, and—
Papa.
He was sitting on the bed right beside me, leaning close. His face was next to mine. His long, golden hair was all messy, falling over his cheek. His eyes were closed.
He was sleeping.
Papa never sleeps near me like this. He always tucks me in and goes away to his scary emperor stuff. But now… he was here. Hugging me like I might disappear.
Did he take care of me last night?
I glanced up at the wet cloth again. It looked fresh. Papa did it. Papa, who always made other people do things, did this for me. My chest felt weird and squishy.
