Chapter 1 · His Sweet Menace

My name is Cade Mercer, and I had a girl sticking to me like glue for twenty years.

Back in kindergarten, she was so afraid of the dark that she would crawl into my sleeping bag and whisper that I was the only thing that felt like light.

In high school, when the power went out during study hall, I could navigate the pitch-black hallways and find her classroom without even opening my eyes.

By college, we were living together, and she would inhale the honey-barbecue ribs I made, squinting at me with a grin and calling me the best husband in the world.

On New Year's Eve, I finally dropped to one knee, and she said yes through her tears.

Nobody really knew the truth though. That light she saw in me? It only ever burned for her.

*****

It all started back in preschool.

Back then, I was just a chubby-cheeked kid whose main personality trait was an obsession with snack time.

Raven Cross lived right across the street. She looked like a literal porcelain doll, but her personality was anything but fragile.

She was the undisputed queen of the social scene.

During nap time, while the rest of the kids were passed out, I was usually mid-dream about a giant burger.

Suddenly, my cot would dip, and a warm little body would squeeze in next to me.

I would blink my eyes open to find Raven's face inches from mine, staring at me with total conviction.

"What are you doing?" I would whisper.

"I'm scared of the dark," she'd say.

I used to wonder if she thought I was some kind of human glow-stick.

The teachers eventually caught on to the routine.

They would tell her she could not just hop into a boy's bed, but Raven would just cling to my arm and argue her case.

"But I'm scared, and Cade is shiny! I can't sleep unless I'm next to him," she would insist.

The teachers were usually too baffled by her confidence to stay mad.

I would just roll over and try to go back to sleep, but her tiny hand would be gripping my shirt like it was a lifeline.

I figured it was easier to just let it happen.

That was the day my "human nightlight" career officially began.

We had to walk home together, sit together in after-school care, and she even found excuses to come over on weekends.

"I'm here to help Cade with his homework!" she'd announce at our front door, beaming like a pageant queen.

My mom was always thrilled to see her. "Come in, come in! I just finished experimenting with a new recipe. You two have to try it."

Raven's smile would instantly flicker.

She knew my mom's cooking was "special," and by special, I meant it was a health hazard.

My mom's last creation was a Peanut Butter and Tuna Casserole that tasted like every flavor on earth had crashed into each other at once.

It was a sensory overload of salt, grease, and regret.

I told Raven not to eat it, but she didn't believe me.

She took one bite, her face turned three different shades of green, and then she gave me a look of pure pity.

It was as if she were asking how I had survived this long.

So when my mom brought out her latest masterpiece, "Watermelon and Sausage Stir-fry," Raven looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

I didn't say a word. I just quietly swapped my plate with hers.

Raven blinked, whispering my name.

"Just eat," I muttered, keeping my head down.

As soon as my mom went into the kitchen to scrub the pans, we shared a look and made a break for it.

We sprinted across the street to Raven's house, where her mom, Sophie, already had a tray of hot pulled-pork sliders waiting.

"Escaped the war zone again, I see?" Sophie teased as we walked in.

Raven pulled me into a chair. "Mom, you have no idea. Cade literally saved my life today. You have to give him extra."

I kept my mouth shut and focused on the food, though I'm sure my face was bright red.

When I finally went home later that night, my dad was at the sink.

He gave me a knowing look. "Not bad, kid. Not bad at all."

"What's not bad?" I asked, totally confused.

He glanced toward the house across the street. "Nothing. Just get some sleep."

I found out much later that my dad had used the same "persistence" strategy to win my mom over.

He called it the Mercer family legacy.

*****

The "Human Nightlight" title became official during a neighborhood power outage one night around 8 PM.

My house was glowing with scented candles.

Chapter 1

My name is Cade Mercer, and I had a girl sticking to me like glue for twenty years.

Back in kindergarten, she was so afraid of the dark that she would crawl into my sleeping bag and whisper that I was the only thing that felt like light.

In high school, when the power went out during study hall, I could navigate the pitch-black hallways and find her classroom without even opening my eyes.

By college, we were living together, and she would inhale the honey-barbecue ribs I made, squinting at me with a grin and calling me the best husband in the world.

On New Year's Eve, I finally dropped to one knee, and she said yes through her tears.

Nobody really knew the truth though. That light she saw in me? It only ever burned for her.

*****

It all started back in preschool.

Back then, I was just a chubby-cheeked kid whose main personality trait was an obsession with snack time.

Raven Cross lived right across the street. She looked like a literal porcelain doll, but her personality was anything but fragile.

She was the undisputed queen of the social scene.

During nap time, while the rest of the kids were passed out, I was usually mid-dream about a giant burger.

Suddenly, my cot would dip, and a warm little body would squeeze in next to me.

I would blink my eyes open to find Raven's face inches from mine, staring at me with total conviction.

"What are you doing?" I would whisper.

"I'm scared of the dark," she'd say.

I used to wonder if she thought I was some kind of human glow-stick.

The teachers eventually caught on to the routine.

They would tell her she could not just hop into a boy's bed, but Raven would just cling to my arm and argue her case.

"But I'm scared, and Cade is shiny! I can't sleep unless I'm next to him," she would insist.

The teachers were usually too baffled by her confidence to stay mad.

I would just roll over and try to go back to sleep, but her tiny hand would be gripping my shirt like it was a lifeline.

I figured it was easier to just let it happen.

That was the day my "human nightlight" career officially began.

We had to walk home together, sit together in after-school care, and she even found excuses to come over on weekends.

"I'm here to help Cade with his homework!" she'd announce at our front door, beaming like a pageant queen.

My mom was always thrilled to see her. "Come in, come in! I just finished experimenting with a new recipe. You two have to try it."

Raven's smile would instantly flicker.

She knew my mom's cooking was "special," and by special, I meant it was a health hazard.

My mom's last creation was a Peanut Butter and Tuna Casserole that tasted like every flavor on earth had crashed into each other at once.

It was a sensory overload of salt, grease, and regret.

I told Raven not to eat it, but she didn't believe me.

She took one bite, her face turned three different shades of green, and then she gave me a look of pure pity.

It was as if she were asking how I had survived this long.

So when my mom brought out her latest masterpiece, "Watermelon and Sausage Stir-fry," Raven looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

I didn't say a word. I just quietly swapped my plate with hers.

Raven blinked, whispering my name.

"Just eat," I muttered, keeping my head down.

As soon as my mom went into the kitchen to scrub the pans, we shared a look and made a break for it.

We sprinted across the street to Raven's house, where her mom, Sophie, already had a tray of hot pulled-pork sliders waiting.

"Escaped the war zone again, I see?" Sophie teased as we walked in.

Raven pulled me into a chair. "Mom, you have no idea. Cade literally saved my life today. You have to give him extra."

I kept my mouth shut and focused on the food, though I'm sure my face was bright red.

When I finally went home later that night, my dad was at the sink.

He gave me a knowing look. "Not bad, kid. Not bad at all."

"What's not bad?" I asked, totally confused.

He glanced toward the house across the street. "Nothing. Just get some sleep."

I found out much later that my dad had used the same "persistence" strategy to win my mom over.

He called it the Mercer family legacy.

*****

The "Human Nightlight" title became official during a neighborhood power outage one night around 8 PM.

My house was glowing with scented candles.