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Somewhere along the way, I got into this habit of having to get up at 3 every morning to get myself a glass of water and think about life over it for a few minutes. I guess it started in the middle of summer, where it was too hot to sleep through the night without hydration, and it just stuck. Which is why I’m here now, sitting on one of our stools with a glass of water, looking out into the garden, which is only illuminated by the moonlight. It's moments like this when I truly appreciate the beauty of the world.
Some mornings, there’s a fox that runs through the garden and, if I’m lucky, it decides to stop for a bit to give itself a clean in the middle of the lawn. Sometimes, cats wander through, although they probably ought to be at home, cuddling with their owners in the warmth of a heated house. Sometimes, deer decide to come into the garden through the gap in the fence, having an exploration before popping back out again when they don’t find anything interesting.
“There you are,” a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist from behind, encapsulating me in the solid warmth of his chest. “I wondered where you’d gotten to.”
“Just watching the animals,” I sigh, not wanting to break the peace and quiet that had blanketed the house before Gary had joined me. Not that I didn’t want him there, of course.
“So, this is where you come when you disappear for 15 minutes every night?” he asked, resting his chin on my head gently.
“Yeah.”
“I always figured you just went to the loo, but I got curious this time, I guess.”
I get up from my stool, placing the empty glass in the sink before joining Gary again. I practically fall back into his arms, enjoying the way that he can so easily surround my small stature. It makes me feel looked after, I guess. He holds me there for what feels like an eternity, stroking my hair gently and, every now and again, placing soft kisses to the top of my head. His pyjama bottoms hang low on his hips, leaving a small gap between them and his shirt, yet I don’t feel the usual urge to slide my hands under and feel my husband. Don’t get me wrong, no matter how many times I do it, I’ll never get used to touching him like that, but right now, that’s not what I need.
I don’t feel like we have enough moments like this, where we can just cuddle up to one another and not have to say anything. I can’t help but smile to myself about how this feels like something out of a fairy tale, with true love and my prince charming. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve a life quite as perfect as this one and yet, here I am, standing in the arms of my loving husband, with our beautiful son in his bed upstairs, and everything seems perfect.
“I love you,” I hum, feeling my eyelids starting to droop and my legs begin to sway. Luckily, Gary realises before I can fall asleep, sweeping me off of my feet and into his arms as my head begins to drop and a yawn makes its way out of my mouth.
“I love you more,” Gary winks, a little playful smirk making me smile before I finally drop off, knowing that I’m taken care of.