Leave the Lights On

Chapter 19

Living with another adult and a child does take some getting used to. You can't take a shower whenever you feel like it. You learned that the hard way because you got into the shower right as Brittany started to do laundry once. That was the coldest, fastest shower of your life.

You're better about picking up the clothes that you'd usually leave on the floor. You don't leave dirty dishes in the sink. You're learning how to cook new things. You even helped host a badass Thanksgiving that you secretly had a small team of maids clean up while you took Brittany and Summer shopping.

It's a freezing outside when you fight to stay in bed on a Saturday morning. Brittany and Summer are leaving you alone because there was a bad sledding accident outside of town and you spent twelve hours yesterday in the operating room repairing skulls and broken fibulas.

You want to go back to sleep and you've been trying for at least half and hour, but you just can't. You give up and decide to get up. You can have some tea and see what the girls are up to. You pull on your favorite hoodie, which used to belong to Brittany before you commandeered it. Then you pull on some of her sweat pants that are lying across the foot of the bed. Then you pull on some of your fuzzy boots.

When you start to walk into the living room, Summer runs toward you, "Don't look! Mommy's wrapping your present!"

You chuckle, "Okay. Ask Mommy if she wants some tea." You walk back to the kitchen and use the kettle your mom bought you to start some water to boiling.

Summer walks into the kitchen and tells you that Brittany wants some of whatever you're having. You ask Summer if she wants some, but apparently tea is an acquired taste because she sticks her tongue out at you. You get her some milk instead. Then you make the tea and sit down at the table, pulling your feet up into the chair. You look out the window and watch the overcast sky grow darker. You're glad that your house is warm.

You take a sip of your tea and yawn.

"Why are you up?" Brittany walks in and kisses the top of your head.

You shrug, "I don't know. I can't sleep."

She gets her tea and moves one of the chairs at the table over next to yours and sits down. She puts her arm around you and you lean into her.

"What did you get me?" you ask.

She chuckles, "I can't tell you."

"Have you given any more thought to my idea for Summer's present?" you ask, eyeing the doorway to the living room to make sure that Summer can't hear.

Brittany rests her chin on top of your head, "A puppy is a big responsibility."

"I do surgery. I think I'm responsible enough for puppy," you tell her.

"I was talking about Summer," she smiles at you, "Or is the puppy really for you?"

You furrow your eyebrows, "Oh. Um... I never got to have a puppy so I thought that we could share?"

"You're adorable," Brittany squeezes you around your shoulders. "We'll keep talking about it okay?"

You nod. You understand Brittany's reluctance. You just think that it could be nice. You close your eyes and take a deep breath. You wish you could have slept longer. You know you could have if Brittany had stayed in bed with you.

"You should go back to bed," she offers.

"I can't," you shake your head. "I'm already up and you're gone."

"I'm sorry," she tells you, "I figured it would be the only time I had to wrap your presents."

"It's okay," you lean into her more. "Have you both already eaten?"