When Neil Mo finished reviewing the documents in his office, it was almost three in the morning. He had stayed up late to make some preparation for the emergency meeting with the board of directors early in the morning.
As he was planning to return to his room to sleep, Neil suddenly felt his throat was a bit dry and decided to went downstairs to pour himself a glass of water and sighed when he no longer felt as thirsty.
When he headed back upstairs, Neil stopped once he reached the guestroom—Hazel's room. He hesitated for a few seconds before he walked in into the room silently and peered at the sleeping visage on the bed.
Suddenly, the figure on the bed turned and Neil found a pair of wide eyes staring back at him. He frowned, worried that has disturbed the little girl's sleep.
"Why are you awake? Sorry. Did I wake you up?"
Hazel tightened her grip on the pink bunny plushy that her mother had given her on her birthday last year and hesitated. "I can't sleep."
The frown on his face deepened. Neil suddenly recalled that his mother would accompany the little girl in her room when she was still around. It was only after Hazel had fallen deeply into a sleep that his mother would leave the room.
The last time he checked the time, it was three in the morning. Then... the little girl was unable to fall asleep until this time?
"You're scared of sleeping alone?"
The little girl hid her head under the quilt cover and bit her lips. When she saw the look on her uncle's face, Hazel was suddenly worried that she might get scolded.
Back then, didn't her mother always scolded her whenever she didn't want to go to bed early? She did not want to get scold. What if her uncle does not want to live with her anymore?
When the little girl did not answer, Neil sat at the edge of the bed and looked at his niece who was wrapping herself like a small dumpling. "You can tell me, you know. I won't get angry."
He lifted his hand to caress her soft hair which was the only thing that popped out from the quilt cover with his stiff movements.
After a few seconds, Hazel pulled the quilt away from her face and nodded.
Neil's expression softened when he stared back into her eyes. Although the little girl resembled her mother the most, it was not hard to see traces of his brother, Adam, in her face.
"Close your eyes," Neil said as he patted at the little girl's hair softly. "I'll stay here until you fall asleep."
Hazel turned in her bed and closed her eyes.
Neil stayed beside the girl and continued to pat on her hair until he could see her breathing had changed.
He stood up to return to his room and hesitated at the fear that she might wake up suddenly. After some thought, Neil decided to sit down on the sofa, and soon, he too fell asleep.
...
Neil was jarred awake when he felt his body shook. He sat up quickly once he saw his niece, Hazel's face in front of him. It was a few seconds later that he began to process his mind and recalled that he had fallen asleep in the little girl's room.
"Uncle!" Hazel stared at him with her bright eyes. "Wake up."
"What's wrong?" Neil tried to sit up straight and felt his body, mostly around his shoulder and neck area was starting to ache. He reached his hand to his shoulder and started to massage the area.
The little girl pointed her fingers to the clock and soon, Neil stood up abruptly and let out a cursing word in front of her.
He had an important meeting that morning and he cannot be late.
Because he had slept in Hazel's room, Neil had forgotten that his phone and alarm clock were both left in his bedroom.
"Hazel, you should hurry and get ready before we will be late," Neil said as he walked over to the door. " I'll let you have your breakfast in the car before I send you over to the school."
"Oh."
He paused at the door and turned to look at her. "Will you be alright if you get ready by yourself?" Neil heaved a sigh with relief when he saw her nodded.
Almost half an hour later, Neil found his niece was already waiting for him in the dining room with her small backpack placed on the empty chair beside her.
When Neil walked closer, he could see that Hazel was eating a bowl of cereal.
It seemed that she was clever enough to find something to eat.
A breath of relief escaped him. Neil was sure that his mother would nag him nonstop if she ever found out that he let Hazel go to school without her breakfast.
But... last night, his niece had gone to bed late because she was unable to sleep. How did she wake up early than him?
Hazel quickly devoured her breakfast when she saw her uncle. Once her bowl was empty, she quickly set the bowl into the sink and turned to her uncle. "I'm ready."
His heart tightened as he watched his niece. He did not know if Hazel has always been a responsible kid, or did she only do these things because she was forced to grow up?
Neil could remember that he has always been someone unruly when he was at her age.
As he continued to watch his niece, the little girl had already reached to his side with her backpack.
"Did you bring everything?" Neil bent down to caress her hair.
"Un. I have put everything I need in my bag." She unzipped her backpack and showed the contents in her bag.
After checking that she had put in everything she might need in school, Neil helped her to zip her back. "Come on. Let's go."