It alternates between looking forward to the night or to the morning. I love waking up to morning coffee when I follow behind my husband to our single cup machine. This morning a cat had peed in the hallway and he said, “Hold on”, as I approached the potential slip or sock wetting hazard. Paper towels are one of those thing we need to keep a steady supply of but don’t. He had handful of napkins and covered the puddle.

I walked past him, then stopped and turned around and put my lips out for a kiss. We’ve been having more of these kisses lately, before I leave or when he does. And sometimes it’s the night I look forward to when we are finally back together. You hear of couples who can’t have their feet touching or who get too hot if they get too close. I tilt his head in the night if he wakes me up and I wake him up if I have a bad dream.

The cats have their nursery in the living room. One on the ottoman, the sofa, the loveseat, and one awake roaming with night vision eyes. “Good morning, Oreo”, I say, or Shadow, or Julie. Casper was banned once the weather turned warmer and I haven’t felt sorry enough to let him back in. If I think about him out there too much it will sadden me. But it was my wintery shower curtain two times in a row and that was too much.