‘Mum! Mum!’ Marlowe’s voice is screaming from across the corridor.
I open my eyes and sit up in bed.
‘Muuuuuum!’ Her sound is high then falls sharply.
I make my feet wriggle out of the warm sheets and, with all my strength, I lift my body out of bed. I see little white stars in the corners of my eyes and my world feels thin and dizzy as I walk as fast as I can to her room.
She is asleep in her bed with her arms crossed over her heart. Her forehead is tight and her bottom lip sticks out. I have not seen her like this before and it makes something inside of my heart rip and it feels like I have been cut open already, bleeding bleeding.
As I stare at her, I think in my mind that there is a rotting seed inside my Marlowe, and this time, I can make it better.