My once-quiet house had become filled with colored pencils, stuffed animals, children’s books, and little shoes abandoned in the hallway.
She chose a bedroom overlooking the backyard.
We painted the walls pale yellow and decorated them with butterflies.
For several months, Chloe struggled with nightmares.
Sometimes she woke crying, frightened that someone would make her sleep again.
Her therapist helped her understand that she was safe and that the frightening events were not her responsibility.
I learned how to respond patiently, even when she asked the same questions repeatedly.
“Will you still be here when I wake up?”
“Every morning, sweetheart.”
“Even if I sleep a really long time?”
“I’ll be right here.”
Slowly, the nightmares became less frequent.
She returned to school.
She made friends.
She joined an art class and discovered that she loved painting flowers, especially bright purple tulips.
One afternoon, her teacher sent home a drawing.
