Things that happen in the night
The streetlight casts yellow on the empty sidewalk as stray cats walk up and down searching for food. The black one says, “Rrreow.” The tiny white one observes. Waits to pounce.
A couple walks home with leftover food from that night’s dinner. Spaghetti sauce leaks into the lining of the woman’s purse. Her shoes hurt the balls of her feet. One toe is pinched. He’s tired and thinking about the time he’ll have between when she’s showering and when she’ll come to bed. 10 min. Maybe 15.
Windows go black as each person along their block decides to be done with the day. Lay. Sing rhyming songs to their children (or themselves) and wish that tomorrow will be better. There’s a sound that comes from around them. It goes like this: ting ting ting. It’s low and loud.
There are I love yous and Good Nights being whispered. There is an engagement ring being admired and a sneeze being sneezed.
Spaghetti sauce couple find each other in bed. She’s soft, hair wet from the shower. There’s a faint smell of vanilla, maybe from her body wash, not her lotion. He’s tired. She presses her breasts against his back. He can feel the heat of the shower on her skin. She asks for one. For two.
He says, “I’ll give you half.”
She says, “I guess that’s good,” and closes her eyes.
There was something remarkable about—
It must have been three in the morning. Maybe 3:05. She felt him move over to his left shoulder—side sleeper. An end of the feather poked his cheek.
Then he stood, heard her sigh. His legs were a little wobbly, weren’t they? The streetlight shone on his bare legs, bare ass. He walked around the bed to where she slept, knelt down.
—But definitely not as late as 3:30.
Later, they’re both asleep. Satisfied until something better comes along.
(akr)
