BEDTIME

She smells like lavender. Her hair, her skin, her pajamas. He notices her lips are a little pursed, and every couple of exhales she lets out a deep breath. Lifting up the blanket, he crawls in and cuddles next to her. Her face is resting on both her hands and he kisses her exposed cheek.

As he watches her to calm his mind from the day's work, it's when he realizes he's conflicted: come home early or keep the night shift. If he comes home early, he gets to tuck her into bed. He gets to sneak a glance of her brushing her teeth through the bathroom mirror, the foamy toothpaste dribbling down her chin. He gets to kiss her goodnight and hold her in his arms, one entwined with her hands and the other on her waist. He gets to catch the moment she drifts off into a dream.

On the other hand, if he keeps his night shift, he comes home late and still gets to appreciate her, cozily wrapped under the sheets, usually in a ball. He gets to admire her face, calm and beautiful. He gets to look at her for as long as he wants without her considering it being creepy. He gets to convince himself how amazing she is without someone (her) contradicting him.

He lets out a deep breath and strokes her face. She jerks, only a little bit, but it's enough to stir her awake.

"Hey… You're home." The words are dragged on under her sleepy voice, but her lips are curling into a small smile. She leans in and kisses him. "About time, too. I was having a nightmare and I didn't want to be by myself when I woke up from it."

He laughs. She's just too adorable. "Here." He lifts her up so he can place his arm under her. She lies back down and grabs hold of his free hand. "Wow. Must be some dream," he comments on the tight grip.

"Nightmare, Nick. It was a nightmare. And it was scary. Like, houses-haunted-by-real-ghosts scary."

"Well, I'm here now, so no more bad dreams, okay?"

She kisses him again and snuggles real close. He presses his lips on her forehead; she's already fallen asleep. He pulls her in some more and lays his head so that their noses touch.

He'll come home early.