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Not to gloat, but the bed is surprisingly comfortable. After years in barracks, unusual housing situations, and staying at a rental with my brothers, this is a pleasant upgrade.
But no matter what position I get in, I can’t sleep. Typically, I close my eyes and can switch off if necessary. Not tonight. The room is quiet except for Lally’s soft breathing and the commotion in my chest. I ignore the flare and the stirring.
Time to sleep, soldier.
But my eyes won’t stay closed. They adjust to the darkness and I glance over at the chair which I was more than willing to occupy. Maybe I’m awake because I’m too comfortable, especially knowing she’s over there, leaning to one side, long legs curled toward her chest.
Every few minutes, she adjusts as if she’s sliding off the silky upholstery of the chair.
“Want a blanket?” I ask.
“You’re still awake?”
“You don’t look comfortable.”
“You can see me?” She shifts again and wraps her arms around her legs.
“I have exceptional night vision.”
“Like a lion on a savanna.”
I consider saying something to put her at ease like,I’m not a predator and don’t eat giraffes.
But she speaks first. “When I was a kid, I wanted to go on a safari in Africa. I spent a lot of time hiking in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, sleeping under the stars, but always wanted to see them from the southern hemisphere. To experience something other than what I was used to.
“I take it you didn’t make good on that goal.”
“It was more of a desire than a goal. A goal was becoming a veterinarian.”
“And that one you met. You should’ve taken a trip to Africa as a reward. A graduation gift.”
“That’s a nice idea in theory, but life happened.”
For some reason, the way she says those last two words makes me think of the opposite.
“Yeah, life happened,” I echo.
“And life goes on,” she adds.
Silence whispers between us, but her breathing doesn’t change. Sleep doesn’t come.
“So how do you know the nearly newlyweds?” I ask.
“You mean you don’t know? It went viral.”
“Like on social media?”
“Yep.”
“Sounds like a sordid tale.” I’ve heard rumors but prefer original sources.
She tells me how she and Romy were best friends and she was dating Ross. “We’d all hang out, watch movies, stuff like that. No big deal. Over time, Ross and I weren’t clicking, you know? We were on and off. Hot and cold. But then one day, I got a text from him. I’ll spare you the contents, but it seemed very out of character, at least insofar as our usual communications go, if you get my meaning.”
“Yeah, and quite frankly, it’s not something I want to think about.”
“I take it you’re not Ross’s biggest fan.”
I have to intentionally unclench my fists and jaw. The guy deserves a pummeling. “Even less so now because I can guess where your story is going.”
