Had a dream that you reached for me in the night
Touched me soft and slow
Everything was wrong but everything was right
He didn't know what had woken him up. Laying on his back, he peered up at the ceiling with eyes that were still adjusting to the darkness of his bedroom, an arm crooked behind his head and one resting on the pale blue comforter that seemed to be smothering him. It wasn't as though he'd had a particularly early night and this was his body telling him he'd slept long enough. In fact, as the days passed he seemed to be going to bed later and later. Making an album was a fantastic process but it took time, lots of time, and he kept becoming absorbed in his work, only returning to the house for an occasional meal and to sleep. Kristen had told him before they crawled into bed earlier that she was worried, concerned he was over-working himself. Her tired eyes and attempt to talk him about Will's latest grades told a different story. He knew he was needed more by her, by the kids, and...Lindsey sighed and turned over, burying his head in his soft pillow. It was fucking hard, the balancing act, he thought as he closed his eyes, trying to go back to sleep.
Sometimes he wished the bed was even bigger. Their daughter insisted on clambering in with them nearly every second night (one elbow into Daddy' s crotch, a knobbly knee into Mommy' s stomach) and taking up so much room that he found himself clutching at the pale purple sheets, trying to keep himself from falling off the side. Of course, sometimes he wished the bed was even smaller. The feeling of waking up to his wife curled up at his side, their baby girl resting on his chest, was enough to make him occasionally need to blink back tears when he thought about it too much.
"Honey?"
"Mmmph," he replied into the pillow, turning his head slowly and opening one eye to peer blearily at his lover. "What 's it?"
"Big gap. Fix it," she murmured quietly, watching him in the darkness.
"You."
Lindsey bit back a grin as she rolled her eyes. " I'm the poor, pitiful, pregnant woman. Surely you can move over and keep me warm, you oaf. "
"Poor and pitiful, I think not! Though you were begging for me to have mercy on you earlier this evening ... "
"Only because you wouldn' t stop torturing me with your damn tongue," she hissed, reaching for him. "C' mon, my side' s more comfortable anyway."
"Liar." But he shifted over, slipping a leg between hers and pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Now you come here." Her long blonde hair tickled his nose and he breathed in the scent of her contentedly. "Just be thankful I'm so sleepy or you'd be begging again ... " he said, yawning.
Laughing, his wife kissed his bare chest softly. " Love you, handsome. "
"Love you too, Stevie."
The second time he woke up, it was to the welcome sensation of a woman's body curled up against his, a small hand stroking his bicep. Smiling, he nuzzled into his bed-partner's hair, stopping suddenly when she looked up at him. Oh. He swallowed the moment of shock and kissed Kristen good morning.
He hated that some mornings he woke up expecting someone else to be beside him.
