He Sees You When You're Sleeping

by Alta Hensley

Jesus, she must think I’m a goddamn Boy Scout.

That I was the firefighter who pulled her parents’ bodies from the wreckage. That I held her shaking hand as I got her into the ambulance. That I went to the hospital after my shift to check on her and have watched over her ever since.

Shoveling snow, hot chocolate, and now walking beneath the snowflakes of New York. How much more Hallmark movie can you get?

“Sweet dreams of sugarplums and serial killers.”

‘How to Survive a Family Christmas Without Losing Your Mind.’ Or ‘What Necklace to Wear to Hang Yourself.’ It’ll be a hit!”

“Girl, if you don’t open that message right now, I swear I’ll reach through this phone and do it myself!”

“Safety first, ladies and gentlemen,”