Natalie woke naturally, having gotten better sleep that night than she had in a long, long time. It was early, she thought—she tended to wake around six o’clock, even on weekends, and she imagined Jess’s body clock worked to a similar rhythm. Luckily, it was a Sunday, so she didn’t have to worry about either of them being late.
It was nearly completely dark in the living room, the curtains blocking out most of the early morning light, but Natalie could still see the outline of Jess against her, head placed on her chest. She watched her for a moment, taking in the rise and fall of her breath, the shape of her nose, and the soft flutter of her eyelids as she dreamed. Jess’s lips traced the edge of a sentence—she was a sleep talker, after all—and she sighed deeply. Her breath fanned against
