Jeff leaned down to kiss the top of his daughter’s head. “I’ll stay here as long as you need me to.”
“You don’t have to, if you keep the light on,” Graciela mumbled sleepily. “If you could put a light under the bed too…”
“Why don’t you sleep on the top bunk? I’m sure Pax would switch with you.”
“No, I hate the top even more. I feel like the ceiling is going to swallow me up. I don’t like it.” She threw her blanket aside.
“Sweetheart,” Jeff said slowly. He wanted to do anything to make her fears go away, but he didn’t know what to do. Graciela didn’t just have a regular fear of the dark. She couldn’t be near anything that she thought would create darkness, and it was only getting worse. “Why are you afraid of the dark? Tell daddy, I can help you.”
She sniffled, feeling the tears form at the corners of her eyes. “It’s not the darkness I’m afraid of, daddy. It’s what lives inside of it.”
Jeff was stunned for a moment. He felt the goosebumps running up his arms. The thought was chilling. He kicked his shoes off and climbed into the bed with Graciela. “Do you want daddy to stay here with you tonight?”
She nodded and cuddled into him. “Thank you, daddy.”
“Of course Sweetheart. I love you.” He held her in his arms, stroking her back soothingly until she was finally able to fall asleep. “Nobody is going to hurt you, okay? I promise.”
A Graying World 