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nightstand that stood to the right of each bed. After their glass was placed, they walked back into the prayer room to complete their final prayer of the night. It was referred to as the Water Prayer, something that everyone did before bed every night. It was to keep demons from entering their dreams and turning them from the Almighty. Once the girls finished speaking the Water Prayer, they returned to the sleeping quarters, sat on the edge of their bed, and took a single sip of water from their glasses. The glasses were returned to the center of the nightstand, and the prayer was complete.
Lyssa remained seated on her bed, unsure of what to do next. It wasn’t required that they go to sleep directly after the prayer, and she was anything but tired. She didn’t have to wonder for long because at that moment, Elaine hopped onto her bed, followed by Odeliah and Penelope. They all crowded onto the narrow mattress and Lyssa couldn't help but laugh. A short silence fell before Elaine voiced what all of them were thinking, “Do you think we will get our flowers tomorrow?”
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Odeliah rolled her eyes. “We can’t all get our flowers on the first night, Elaine. It takes time. I don’t think any of us should get our hopes up, just in case.”
Elaine stuck her lip out in a pout. She sighed dramatically, “I know, you're probably right.”
Lyssa, unsure of what to say next, said the first thing that popped into her mind. “Do any of you really even want kids?” The three girls' heads snapped towards Lyssa, their mouths hanging open slightly. Elaine was the first to speak, her voice a hushed whisper.
“How could you even say that? That’s, like, our whole point of existing. What else would