Page 201 of Falling Backwards
And we dissolve into more uninhibited laughter.
And we might have a few sore muscles later because of that, but it’ll be worth it.
She’sworth it.
She’s worth everything.
I put my arm around her and draw her into me as I get more comfortable.She snuggles against me and we finally get back into the show, my chuckles and her giggles relaxing into comfortable silence—until the next funny thing comes along, that is.
It feels like the perfect way to end our good day.
M A G G I E
I stir into consciousness, groggy and heavy and….
Not again,I think in dim exasperation.
“Not again,” I complain aloud in a rasp as I sluggishly roll over.
But yes.I’m chilled for the…for thethird timetonight?Is that right?
Yes, it is right.The first time wasn’t so bad and I got covered back up quickly.The second time was worse because he had pretty much put himself in a blanket burrito; he slept through me wrestling enough of it free that I could just barely cover myself.
Please let this be easier than that….
In the darkness, I feel out a slight edge of the blanket and pull—but once again, sleeping Luke has just about swaddled himself in it.It doesn’t come towards me worth a crap.
“Ugh.Luke.”I curl in on myself and nudge at his back to wake him up like he told me to do if this happened again.“Give me some blanket.”
He goes on sleeping, his breathing even and peaceful.
My fingers search for a different part of the comforter and try another pull there.Something moves, but not the way I want it to—I still can’t get enough to even begin to work with.
It brings my exasperation into clearer focus, out of the dimness of sleep.I cannot believe he can steal the blanket more than once in the same damn night.And how in the world is hethiswrapped up in it?
“Luke,” I groan.I try again to pull the comforter free, but I can’t, so I nudge him a bit more.“Hey.I’m cold.”
I recall that I’mespeciallycold because I’m not wearing the sweatpants anymore and instead have on the thin night pants I brought from my place.We’re actuallybothin lighter night pants because right before we got in bed, we were in the bathroom and I accidentally bumped him while he was closing his bottle of mouthwash and he dropped it, splashing both of us.We weren’t about to put off sleep just to wait for our sweatpants to be washed and dried, so we donned these other pants, which are nowhere near as warm.
I would wonder if Luke has bundled himself up in the stolen blanket because he, too, is colder than usual, but I’ve already learned this is just how he sleeps.
I’m not happy about it.
After another fruitless attempt to either fight free some blanket or wake him up enough to give it to me, I’m even less happy.
I finally give him something of a shove.“Luke!Please share the blanket!”
It has just occurred to me that I can go get the throw blanket off the couch when, at last, he inhales deeply and starts moving around.
Rolling my eyes, I take my chance to both tug on the blanket and say again, “Hey, let me cover up.”
He starts stretching.I keep tugging until he gets the picture.
“Mmm, I’m sorry,” he groans throatily.He rolls to face me and clumsily helps me unwrap the blanket from all around him.“Sorry, sorry.”Once we’re both covered up fairly, I feel one of his hands fumble along my body and land on my waist.“C’mere.I’ll snuggle you warm again.”
“How does this even happen?”I mumble, scooting close to his insane, solid warmth.
