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20
LENORE
Acreature of habit, when my alarm goes off at six-fifteen the next morning, I get up and get going with my day even though I have nothing specific planned for the morning. Norm is curled on the bed by my feet, but he wakes up with me and stretches.
After shutting the alarm off, I notice a message I missed from Matt last night.
Good night. Hope you sleep well.
I feel bad for missing it, but I must have fallen asleep so fast I never even heard it come through.
I did, thank you! Sorry I missed your message. Sleep well?
There’s no reply before I finish dressing in a pair of shorts and an athletic top. I left some downstairs windows open last night, and the cabin is chilly. Putting on a pair of socks to keep my feet warm, I jog down the stairs, closely followed by Norman.
There’s still some left-over kitty kibble from yesterday, so I top that off before making my breakfast. As I cook, Norm rubs against my leg. Once the omelet is done, we sit together on the couch while I eat.
After cleaning up our breakfasts, I pull on my shoes and walk down the long driveway to check the mailbox. The cabin doesn’t get much mail—usually only flyers people stuff into mailboxes.
Back inside, I hear a message notification on my phone.
You don’t sleep in, do you? I also slept well. Don’t worry, you didn’t wake me up :)
I’ve always been an early riser and tend to relax more on the weekends, but I was excited about this morning.
How is it you knew I’d worry that I woke you up?
I pay attention.
I pause. It’s a bit disconcerting to know he’s been paying that close attention to me. If I realized it at the time, I’d probably be extremely self-conscious.
Not like a stalker paying attention. Just paying attention because I care.
My heart beats quicker as I digest that information.
I think I care too. I don’t want it to be weird, so I add. Looking forward to seeing you later.
What am I doing? If I’m stepping into the territory of possibly becoming something more serious, I’ll need to talk to him about some of the things that have happened in my past. I’ve hinted at them before, but he deserves to know the details since it affects so much of who I am today.
Me too :) What are you doing in the meantime?
Appreciating his timely change in conversation, I reply, Just some other housework that I didn’t get to last night. What about you? Eat already?
Yep, just scrolling the news and trying to finish waking up.
Are you sure I didn’t wake you?
I gnaw on my lip.
You did not wake me up. It’s followed by a rooster emoji, and I choke on a laugh.
Is that about you or me?
Shit. You. It’s too early in the day for my brain to work. I meant like a rooster. Look at me, putting my foot in my mouth, even in a text.
Don’t worry, it made me laugh.
Good. It’s quickly followed by another message. See you soon.
