Chapter 81

The old-fashioned wooden bed creaked. Jolene was a bit nervous. "I… Maybe I should go sleep with Grandma." She should've chosen to do that from the start. Yet, she was worried she would disturb Emma's sleep. Under the covers, a warm and firm hand grasped her hand. "Are you going to sleep with Grandma every night? She'll get suspicious," said Steven. They were a married couple. They couldn't sleep in separate rooms every night. "Then I… I'll sleep here." Jolene accepted her fate. The two lay in the bed stiffly. They softened their breathing, trying their best to put themselves to sleep. However, they became even more awake, and the night grew faintly electric with tension. Outside the window, a stray cat meowed unceasingly. Its calls were long and lilting. It was springtime, and the cat was in heat. After it yowled for a while, another stray cat arrived. The two stray cats romped about under the windowsill. Their meowing was amplified by the quiet night. Jolene's cheeks were