Page 129 of Give My Everything
Ben: Sleep well, beautiful. You’re amazing and strong and brave, and I’ll see you in the morning.
Setting my phone back down, I tuck my pillow in close, breathing in deeply and feeling very lucky.
For tonight, I’m able to fall asleep without wondering for even a moment whether I deserve it.
I wake up when I feel a body wrapping itself around me, tensing for a split second of panic until I hear Ben’s groggy voice.
“Coming home to you in bed is like some kind of drug,” he says, snuggling up against me from head to toes, his arms sliding around my middle and his face nuzzling into my head. “God, I love the way you smell,” he continues. “It’s that cucumber shit you use, and it’s just…”
I hear him inhale and then let out a long sigh.
“How was the hospital?” I ask, wishing there were some way I could look at his face but stay in this same position.
He pulls me tighter. “I slept like shit.”
I laugh, twisting in his hold so we’re face to face.
He opens his eyes, a lazy smile overtaking his features. His hands come up and hold my face.
“You’re so beautiful,” he says, then he leans in and places a kiss on my lips.
I snort. “I look like shit.”
He hums his disagreement, his eyes narrowing even through his exhaustion.
“Ido. I never washed off my makeup the other night and then I cried all day yesterday and last night. You’re seeing me on day three of unwashed stank.”
Ben giggles and kisses me again.
“I love your stank.”
He tucks me into his chest, and I take that as my cue to be quiet. Clearly he’s exhausted. I’ve only slept in a hospital one time in my life, the night Mati broke his arm when we were in elementary school. I slept fine, but little kids can sleep in arm chairs with no problems, and I’m assuming that was the only option for Ben last night.
I snuggle with Ben for a little while, holding him close and just enjoying his nearness, until I open my eyes and realize it’s after nine.
I give him a little poke and he wakes, cracking one eye to look at me.
“I’m gonna shower and go get breakfast with Josslyn,” I say. “Do you want us to bring you anything?”
He shakes his head and turns, stuffing his face into his very fluffy pillows.
I kiss the center of his back then push out of bed, wandering out of the room and over to the guest room.
After I knock lightly, I open the door a tiny bit.
“Morning.”
Josslyn’s muffled voice comes at me from under her blankets where she’s cocooned herself.
“Brunch?”
She flings back the covers and starfishes on the queen-sized mattress.
“You know I’m all about brunchy goodness!”
It takes us about an hour to get ready, each of us taking a shower and spending time to put on our makeup. I don’t even try with my hair, though, opting for my signature side braid and a headband.
“Mary’s is my favorite,” I tell her as we pull into a parking space around the corner from the best breakfast spot in Hermosa. “When I was in high school, our group used to meet here every Monday. We used to call it Monday Mournings and we’d mourn the end of the weekend.”
