45: Missing Hubby

Two days later, Alicia woke up alone yet again in the enormous bed and felt more lonely than the day before. She had slept in one of Theo's t-shirts and on his side of the bed. She had lured herself to sleep by sniffing his pillow with his soothing voice in her ear. He had made a point of calling her in the morning, and before she slept, though he was in a different time zone. She yawned, fetching her phone, and checked the time. It was a quarter to nine and no doubt past midnight where Theo was, but she knew he would be video calling shortly. She rushed to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and sprinkled water on her face. She checked her reflection, untangling her hair, just before she heard her phone ringing.

With a gigantic smile on her face, she hurried back to her bedroom and picked it up. Theo's sleepy face filled her screen. “Baby girl,” he whispered, so deep, that she gulped. His sleep-lidded voice was scratchy in all the right ways, and she would be damned if her pants didn't