Page 91 of The Best Trick

Odin got in and Thor settled the quilt over us, pressing the heavy end around Odin. Thor was acting all casual, but I knew how huge this was for him. He’d wanted more than anything for Odin to try his quilt.

What had changed?

Thor flipped off the bedside light and got in. I didn’t dare open up my ereader. Was this for real? Was Odin giving it another shot? Was he going to let himself fall asleep with all of us there? Did he think the quilt would work?

“I know you guys are probably worried, like what happens if I fall asleep,” Odin said, breaking the silence.

“Not at all!” I said quickly.

Odin said, “No, you’d be right to worry, but I need you to know something. Thor, remember all the stuff you tried with me?” He turned onto his side, addressing Thor from the other end of the bed. “The meditations, the progressive relaxation, the lavender, all of it?”

“Of course,” Thor said.

“I’ve been doing tests and trial runs. Combining the techniques,” Odin said. “In isolation, no one thing worked, but it came to me then to try them together. Different things at different times of day, plus the quilt. They seemed like they were having an effect, like a real, genuine effect when I used them together.”

I sucked in a quiet breath. On the other side of me, I could feel Zeus still.

“I started filming myself sleeping at night,” Odin continued. “I told myself I could only trust it after one full month of peaceful sleep. One month of no thrashing.”

“And?” I asked.

“I’m twenty-nine days in, one day shy of a month, but I thought under the circumstances…”

“It’s decided, then,” Zeus said. “We’re doing this.”

“February only has twenty-some days,” I reminded him.

“My stuff is really helping?” Thor asked, voice cracking with emotion. “Twenty-nine days without sleep disturbances?”

“It’s been fucking amazing, Thor,” Odin said. “To be able to close my eyes. To sleep. To experience this peace. And now that I can sleep with you all, it’s even better.”

“Twenty-nine days,” Thor said, voice full of amazement.

I threw my arms around Odin’s neck and buried my face in his shoulder, holding him tightly. There were no words. We could sleep together as a family.

“And sleeping next to you, that’s another layer of peace, goddess,” Odin said. “We’ll sleep as an actual family, in whatever configuration...”

I snorted and sat back up, quickly scrubbing my face, not wanting to be sappy. “If there’s one thing we have no shortage of, it's configurations,” I said.

Zeus was laughing now, supposedly at my joke, but I think he was feeling the joy and relief that I was feeling. He reached over and clapped a strong hand on Odin’s shoulder.

Odin leaned over. “Thor,” he said. “I don’t know how I can ever thank you for the gift that you gave me. Introducing me to the research and methods you dug up. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to get your hopes up. I’m obsessed enough with my sleep as it is.”

Thor said, “I want to hear about the specifics. Maybe tomorrow.”

“We’ll fine-tune,” Odin said. “You gave me my sleep back.”

“It’s nothing,” Thor said.

“No, seriously,” Odin said. “It’s like you gave me my life.”

Thor nodded, eyes shining.

I slid back under the covers with a sigh, snuggling in, practically wiggling with happiness. My guys followed suit.

“This is nice,” I said.

We talked about the day. About the Gigis. Igloos.

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