How do you tell the child you yelled at last night, that you knocked on their door this afternoon, after hours of silence, not to see if they’re awake, but to see if they’re alive?

Because you didn’t want to wake them; they need their sleep and part of the reason you yelled last night was because they were staying up really excessively late and were showing signs of instability even then, but wouldn’t go to bed until you yelled and turned off the light and stood there with your eyes closed in weariness until they said good night to the friends they were chatting with online and turned off their electronics.

That you went to bed last night (early morning) and slept until after noon and then waited three hours for the silence to grow too long in the beard, before you finally couldn’t stand it, having stood several times outside their closed door listening and hearing nothing.

What a relief it was just to hear a sigh and a question sound when you tapped lightly on their door!

I just wanted to see if you’re awake.