Morning light

Carson strokes Jess’ arm as she leans into him. It felt good to have someone with him again…there wasn’t a deep relationship between him and Jess…but neither were they flippant like he and Velvet had been. No…it felt good to be cared about again…and to be able to offer care in return. He had missed being someone’s shelter…being needed…knowing that someone could find comfort in him.

He lowers his eyes to see Jess’ as she looks up at him, his faint smile remaining. “I’m glad too,” he replies quietly. “For a while there I thought you’d forgotten how to shine.”

He leans his head back and closes his eyes, quiet for several minutes, just thinking. He hadn’t planned on any relationships…especially this soon after everything had happened. But it didn’t seem hard with Jess. She needed someone…and in a way, he needed someone too. Though so very different, both needed a chance to pick themselves up and start over. Perhaps each had a different path to follow – but for now, starting out together wasn’t an unpleasant thought.

Carson gives Jess a little squeeze. “Then I guess we let time take its course while we pretend we’re the ones in control.”

After another few moments, he shifts his weight again, finding his position uncomfortable. Bringing his legs back under the table, he sits Jess up for a moment as he sits back straighter against the wall, bringing one leg up behind her, and stretching out on their booth. In the end, he’s stretched out with Jess between his legs, her head back on his chest.

“So…you like strawberry milkshakes and you like to play cards. You realize that is the extent of my knowledge…”


Scott cracks an eye open just enough to see the late time the digital clock on his DVD player is showing, then glances to his side where Katie still lay. Her steady breathing indicated she’d fallen asleep just as he had. Domino still lay curled up behind her too, also dead to the world.

Instead of waking anyone up, Scott just settles his head back down in the couch. Knowing this might be the last night like this, he was willing to let it last as long as he could.


Bret’s hand runs through Charlotte’s hair as the movie’s music plays, the credits rolling. He was comfortable…too comfortable to want to get up…too comfortable to tell Charlotte to go home.

Reaching for the remote, he keeps a firm hand on Charlotte to let her know she doesn’t have to move, and he shuts the tv off. The living room grows dark and quiet and Bret’s eyes drift shut.


...Carson opens his eyes and scans the room. I takes him a minute to realize where he was…he was still in the booth at Mom and Pop’s. He didn’t even know what time he’d fallen asleep. He and Jess had stayed up so late talking that time simply hadn’t mattered anymore. He couldn’t recall everything that had been said…most of it was just small talk… but both had felt so comfortable that neither had wanted to move or leave.

Now the morning light was starting to come through the windows, signaling the arrival of a new day. A sound from the back alerts Carson to someone coming in through the back entrance. Herb.

He gently runs a finger down the side of Jess’ face, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Hey,” he prompts quietly. “Sleepyhead…I gotta get to work.”