Sunny wakes up before me.
I know this because something wet drags across my cheek and I jerk awake like I’ve been caught doing something illegal.
“Stop,” I mumble, voice thick with sleep, trying to turn my face away.
He follows.
Of course he does.
Another lick. This time my nose.
“Oh my God,” I groan, pushing his head gently. “You’re obsessed with me.”
He wags his tail harder.
No shame. No apology. Just vibes.
I sit up slowly, hair everywhere, eyes barely open, and he immediately climbs into my lap like I didn’t just complain about him.
“You’re too attached,” I tell him.
He sneezes.
I take that as disagreement.
—
Mornings used to feel… heavier.
Like something was always waiting for me. A thought. A person. A conversation I didn’t want to have.
Now it’s just this.
A dog tha
