About last night

Mom posted an entry about last night.  This evening, via telephone, I finally got the real story. I had a photographers meeting to attend *yawn* so didn't get home until bedtime, so I talked to her on the phone, and Kevin got the rest. 

First, to clear a few things up. 
When she has a bad dream, she wakes me.  I get up and sit with her, and let her tell me about it if she wants to (sometimes she doesn't want to talk about it.)  After discussion, we get her a drink of water, and I tuck her back into bed.  What else can be done?  She doesn't have them often...maybe once every couple of months.

The nightmare story was just that, a story.  She didn't have one, and hadn't even fallen asleep.

She wasn't sleep walking, since she could tell me even the tiniest details about leaving (the basement door unlocks and opens ok, but doesn't always latch real well when you close it...she didn't get it latched) and she put on sandals and a pair of shorts under her nightshirt.  Sleepwalkers don't do that.

The real story is this:  She has a friend who said he was going to run away and live in the woods.  She laid awake worrying about him.  She told me tonight, "He wouldn't make it even ONE night out there!"  Her plan was to walk to his house, and tell his parents where to find him.

He lives FIVE MILES AWAY!  In a car, it's a short trip, so she probably thought it was closer.  Thank God in heaven above that Mom lives between here and there.  She got worn out and went to Grandma's.  She knew she shouldn't have done it, but she was worried about Devin.

She has had multiple talks from Grandma, Grandpa, me and Kevin about what could have happened.  I asked if any cars passed her, and she said a couple did, on the other side of the road.  Why wouldn't anyone call the police if they saw a young girl walking alone in the night?!  I also keep telling her that she can tell us about such worries, and I will talk to a kids parents, if needed.  She can't always save the world without help.

The stuff that made me not sleep well after, and that kept my stomach in knots all day, and kept me on the verge of tears at work:
She walked 2 miles on a two-lane highway.  No shoulder.  55 mph speed limit. Curves.
There are dogs running loose between here and there.
It's the country, no street lights.
It's TWO MILES.
There are weirdo freaks everywhere.
People out at midnight are often drunk drivers.
It was supposed to be storming at that time.  Storms missed us.

I am so thankful.  Still, I had this heavy feeling of dread all day.  Feeling inferior.  I didn't hear her leave, and the phone didn't wake me.  There is no WAY to hear that door from upstairs, but still.  I should have had an alarm on it.  I can't child-proof it, it's their fire exit.  I honestly feel that she "gets" the gravity of the situation, and the could-have-beens have been drilled into her all day.  Still, something tells me I won't be sleeping much tonight.

Again.