Erlina had finally fallen asleep, the two year old a dead weight in her arms. Aislinn was surprised she had managed to stay up as long as she had. They’d started out early that morning, going straight to one of the many parks to see a stubborn client about one of the several statues they had purchased. Erlina had occupied herself with chasing bugs, catching lizards, and getting as dirty as possible. Yet, somehow, when noon came around, she didn’t drop for her usual nap. Oh, no, Erlina had simply begged for ice-cream and kept running. Now on the way home at nearly midnight Erlina had just closed her eyes and curled up in Aislinn’s arms.

A lop-sided smile twisted up one corner of Aislinn’s pale, plain lips. The sight of her baby girl never failed to bring a sheer, stupid grin of happiness into her plain features. She murmured the last few notes of a lullaby as she brushed a kiss against Erlina’s cheek, and walked farther into the seemingly empty station.
According to the schedule, she had at least half an hour until the next train, and nearly another half hour’s ride until they were close to home.

Life was never an easy thing.

Her soft soled canvas shoes patted softly against the concrete floor as she walked to a bench and dropped the heavy tan bag hanging on her left arm down onto a bench. Aislinn shifted Erlina’s weight slowly, and sat down, dreading waking her. The noise of the train would, of course, but Aislinn was bound and determined to let her rest until then. Erlina had never liked the subway, too noisy and too crowed, she supposed.

Aislinn huddled her daughter close and, wrapping her heavy coat around them both, settled in for the wait. Another lullaby leapt to the forefront of Aislinn’s thoughts, and her silly, lop-sided grin returned as she began to sing softly. Between the soothing sounds of her heartbeat and her mother’s soothing voice, maybe Erlina would sleep deep enough that she wouldn’t wake with the train.