[Author's Note: Yes, I've been an absentee author again. But this time I have no shame. On top of a ton of other stuff, a friend of mine passed away two weeks ago now, and things have just been kind of rough. So, that's my story. And here is the story you're here for…]

Snow Day

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Nothing

December 18, 10:25 AM, EST

Still caught between awake and asleep, I register a hand on my face. It pats all around my face until it finds my cheek and settles there gently. I groggily open my eyes and am greeted with a wild mess of brown hair. I feel Maureen nuzzle my collarbone gently. She lets out a contented sigh.

Finally, after a few minutes of laying there just enjoying each other's presence, I say, "So, we never really got around to what happened before the, uh… excitement… last night."

"You're awake," Maureen slurs, barely awake herself.

"Yeah. Did you sleep alright?"

"Mmm… yeah," she mumbles, removing her hand from my face and wrapping her arms around me. "You?"

"Yeah." It's not a total lie: I did sleep eventually. But I also spent a good hour or two turning over and over in my mind all of the things Maureen told me- telling myself that I can't start acting differently around her based on what I now know- yet feeling like I can't treat her the same way either.

"Do you have the day off?"

Suddenly, I'm bolt upright. "No." We both stare at each other wide-eyed for a few very long seconds before I chance a look at the alarm clock: 10:27 AM.

"That's not good." I'm already halfway out the door when she says it.

Just as I'm flying into the bathroom, I hear Collins' voice carry down the hallway. "Go back to bed!"

"Excuse me," I begin as I stalk out to the living room, "but now is really not the time for going back to bed."

"Somebody called at about eight. I told them you were detained by a family emergency but would be back bright and early tomorrow. You have…" he glances down at his watch, "roughly twenty-one hours to figure out what that emergency was. Now go sleep like you know you need to."

I stare at him for a minute. "I like you," I say finally.

"As many do, Ms. Jefferson." And at that I give him a grateful smile before turning and heading back into the bedroom.

"Apparently I've got the day off," I inform Maureen while snuggling back in next to her.

"Oh, okay." She inches closer to me until she's curled up on top of me with her head on my shoulder, and I'm suffocating in thick, dark curls. "By the way, since you asked, Mark said he had been thinking that it would make sense for us to just have a break from each other and stuff for a while. I think he just doesn't want me to be around anymore, but that's okay I guess."

"Maybe he's right, though. Maybe after a little breather it'll be easier for you guys to be friends again."

"Yeah… He asked if he could still come and watch, and I said that I wanted him to. I told him to talk Roger into coming, too, but I doubt it'll happen."

"Was he not doing well when you were over there?"

"Well, I don't know," she says dramatically, moving her head as she does. This action sends I tidal wave of curls tumbling into my face. "He wouldn't talk to me."

"Do you think maybe he feels guilty?" I ask once I get her hair out of my mouth.

"I don't know," she mumbles, sounding like she's ready to drift off again. "I guess nothing's impossible right?"