I pull to a stop in the garage, immediately closing the garage door and shutting off the engine. She doesn’t stir. I decide to leave our stuff and just go inside. I don’t want to wake her, though. She shifted and leaned the seat back, so her weight isn’t on the door anymore, allowing me to open her door, unbuckle her, and scoop her into my arms.
“Hmm? Wha—? Whattimezit?” she mumbles. “Wes?”
I cradle her against my chest. “I’ve got you.”
“Tired.”
“I know. It’s okay. Just rest.”
“Are we there?”
“Yeah, we’re home.”
“Your home?”
“Yeah.”
To my bedroom, the main floor master suite off the kitchen. I don’t bother with lights, even though the predawn leaves the house thick with gray shadows and black patches. I know the way well enough to navigate in the dark. I’m exhausted. Beyond exhausted.
I settle her onto the bed, tug the blankets out from underneath her, and cover her with them. She rolls to her side, sighs deeply.
“Wes?” Her voice is small.
I shuck my shoes and shirt, leave my shorts on, and climb into bed beside her. “I’m here.”
“Closer. Hold me.”
I press my nose between her shoulder blades, wrap my arm over her hip, and she clutches my hand against her chest. “I’ve got you.”
“Are you afraid?” Her voice is soft, quiet, faint.
“Of what?”
“Loving me, and losing me.”
“Of loving you? No. Of losing you? Yes.”
A long quiet, so long I’m sure she’s fallen asleep. “But you love me anyway?”
“Yeah, I think I do.”
“I don’t care if it’s crazy.”
“Me either.” I kiss the back of her neck. “I thought you were tired.”
“I am. But I can’t fall back asleep. I’m stuck, half asleep, half awake.”
“You did sleep for a long time.”
“How long?”
“From like three in the afternoon till we got home. It’s after four in the morning.”
“Should have warned you. I do that, after I’ve been sick. I can’t really rest when I feel like that, so even though it seems like I’m doing nothing but sleeping for three days or whatever, I’m not really sleeping, not restfully. So then, when I’m feeling better andcansleep, my body’s just like, bam, you’re down until you’re caught up.”
“It’s okay. I figured it was something like that.”
“You drove that long by yourself without stopping?”
