Not wanting to cause her any more distress than what she was obviously in, I walked over to my chair and sat down just like I always did after dinner. I turned on the television and waited to see what she’d do.
At first, she did nothing. She stood unmoving behind me. I had to force myself not to react, not to do something. Brianna needed to make the next move.
Finally she did move. Her footsteps were slow and hesitant as she drew closer to me. She paused beside my chair for several seconds. I didn’t move from my position.
Then in a flash she sat in the middle of the couch just to my right. I glanced over and gave her a small smile to let her know everything was all right, but she didn’t return it. She wasn’t even looking at me.
The smile I’d been wearing turned into a frown as I noticed her hands begin to fidget and then shake. My discontent deepened as she pulled her knees up to her chest and began to rock. This was not what I’d been hoping for.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and said, “Brianna, look at me.” She didn’t respond. “Brianna,” I said more firmly. This time her head snapped up, and she looked at me. “Would you like to sit with me?” She nodded, and I opened my arms in invitation.
For the rest of the night, we sat in my chair holding on to one another. I had no idea what the future would bring for us, but for tonight she was still in my arms, still mine.