Cosy Evening by Sofia Chernenko

It was late at night.

In the kitchen, the fridge was humming quietly, the clock was ticking and the cat on the windowsill was snoring. All this idyll was interrupted by Anna entering the living room.

-Mum?’ she whispered quietly, so as not to frighten the woman, ’Why are you awake? You have to work early tomorrow.

-I can't sleep at all today,’ the woman sitting on the sofa said in a whisper, ’Why did you get up?

-I had a bad dream. I decided to drink some water, and there you were. I was even scared a little bit, no matter what imagined, - sitting down next to her mother and taking a pillow in her hands, said the girl.

-You should watch less of your scary stories. Whenever I come in, you have only murders and crime stories buzzing from your laptop.

-Well, Mum, Anna said, puffing up her cheeks. She looked like an angry hamster ready to attack at any moment.

-No, why? I'm not even in it, I'm horrified every time that this happens. So you still manage to eat quietly under it, - muttering at her daughter, the woman made herself comfortable.

-Oh, you don't say! This is coming from a man who watches stories about psychics and sects.

-That's different, you don't understand,’ said her mother with a chuckle.

-"Of course I do. As you like to say, ‘You haven't grown up yet. When you're as old as I am, then we'll talk"-saying this phrase, Anna tried to parodize her mother's voice and gestures.

-Absolutely. I won't say anything bad,’ the woman replied unkindly, stroking her daughter's head. ’Are you going to sleep at all, or are you going to sit here with me?

Turning her head and hugging the pillow tighter, Anna answered with a sigh:

-I was actually going to reset the regime, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. What do you think of the idea to switch on the cartoon ‘Ratatouille’? I loved it so much when I was a kid. You loved it too.

-Your childhood is twisted in one place? -She said laughing again. -Come on, I'll remember my youth.

Sometimes these sleepless nights can lead to an unexpected and pleasant end.