The New Normal

Paige

I opened my eyes to find the sun well over the horizon, much later than I usually slept when I’d had a choice about when to get up. I blinked, feeling sleep crusted in the corners of my eyes. My mouth was dry, and my thoughts fogged. What happened last night? Was the medicine messing me up? I remembered having the dream, Tom coming in, and then…nothing. No more dreams, at least.

I sat up and stretched. All my muscles burned, and as I rubbed my eyes, I spotted a throw blanket spread across the biggest of the tiny couches in the room.

My face heated as the rest of the night clicked into place. I’d grabbed him, on purpose, and begged him to stay. After I’d pushed him away a thousand times, I’d relied on him to be here so I could go back to sleep. What had I been thinking?

Had he stayed the whole night?

I didn’t care. I got up, ignoring the aches, and headed for the massive ensuite bathroom I’d discovered the day before. The bathroom was full of girly-smelling soaps and shampoos, it