Pillowtalk
âHow can I sleep when my thoughts are all about you?â
[a short fictional story about a woman who canât sleep]
The night started the way we first shared a home:
âHi, love.â
I smiled and linked our hands together. âHow do you always know when I canât sleep?â
âLook at me.â
I did.
He was looking at me, eyes darker than usual with a hint of mischief. Grinning, he winked at me, and I swear Iâd fallen in love with him again. It was our own inside joke and it had never once failed to deliver. This man right here was the only reason I could fall asleep.
âYouâre not sleepy at all?â I asked him, pinching his cheeks.
âNo. Iâm always too awake for you.â
Iâd asked him many times that same question and still his answer was the same. He was always wide awake for me. He couldnât sleep without me falling asleep first. I was getting worried, and whenever Iâd pretend to sleep, heâd be there â talking animatedly almost as if he could sense me listening.
âI almost didnât come to work today,â I told him, âI had to force myself to get up and do my thing. I donât know why.â
âItâs one of those days, huh?â His face was pensive, his eyes full of understanding.
âOne of what?â
âYou lose all motivation and just question everything. Why go to work? Why do all the trouble of earning money? Why canât I just lay down here and stay with him? Why do I even bother to try?â
I sighed. âIâm sorry. Does that bother you?â
âNot at all, but Iâm glad you got up today. Iâm glad you tried. Iâm glad you lived.â
âItâs just another day, nothing special.â I took his hand and squeezed it hard. It felt nice. It felt good. It felt just like home.
He pulled my right hand and kissed my knuckles. âJust another day, but to the world it means everything. To me it means bravery. Now, do you ever wonder how you got into this life? Like you control your body, you think with your own mind, you feel with your own heart. How does that happen? How do you become you?â
I thought about it. If there was one thing that went much different from who I was, then wouldnât it mean Iâd cease to exist? Just how many kinds of personality, gestures, flaws, attitudes, beliefs, thoughts, and perspectives did God have to mix together in order to create my soul?
âI donât know. Maybe I was in Heaven and these angels are all like oh hey, look at that one, sheâs not doing anything. Send her down to Earth,â I suggested.
He chuckled and leaned in close to me, one arm slung across my chest, his dead-lock embrace preventing me from moving. âWhat if you actually came from below?â
âYouâre funny.â
âI know. Thatâs why you love me.â
This time, it was my turn to offer a laugh. âHmm, but if you think about it, we could actually come from Hell. What if people are the creation of both heaven and hell, hence, the good and bad in us? We have our own angels and demons, and maybe we serve as the arbitrator between the two. Itâs just that sometimes when our own angels donât grant our wishes, we turn to our demons. When our demons get out of control, they tend to weaken us and so our angels come to our rescue, thus making us the gray area again.â
My lover stared at me, his gaze full of questions and answers. He looked at me like I was his gray area and he didnât know what to do with it. He smiled at me as if he couldnât help himself.
âHow can hell create?â he asked.
âMaybe it used to be a part of something. Maybe it used to be one of heavenâs realm and Lucifer took it because it was Godâs favorite part of heaven. Maybe the same can be said about love. We took love and made a hell out of it,â I whispered softly, nuzzling his nose. âI miss you.â
Leisurely, he took my lips, his mouth pressed against mine. There was no rush, just the slow dance of our lips. In between kisses, he said, âIâm always here. You know that, donât you?â
I believed him.
Moments later, we fell asleep.
When I woke up, he was gone.
Itâs been years since he died, and yet the promise of his love lingered.
Maybe God had finally taken back my love and created a heaven out of it. Â
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ABOUT THE WRITER: Veronica Garcia is a writer and storyteller who goes by the pen name NicAthena / nicathenaa. You can find her weaving stories on Wattpad (@NicAthena). With great love for books, anime, TV shows, and games, she truly, madly, and deeply enjoys creating vivid scenes. CONTACT DETAILS: E-mail: [email protected] Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/nicagarcia12








