Change of Heart

Chapter 4: Differences

Chapter Four

The steady beeping of her watch was an obnoxious sound, she barely noticed the arm that draped across her stomach, or the fact that her leg was resting on someone else's. She hardly felt the grasp that tightened on her side as the alarm sounded, and loosened into a loving hold as soon as the jarring noise ended. It seemed perfectly normal and completely ordinary, as though this was the way she woke up every morning. It was comfortable and seemed routine.

Her eyes popped open wide as she realized that reality was quite the opposite. This was highly unusual, abnormal and certainly not ordinary. She never woke up in the arms of someone else, she could hardly remember the last time she'd spent the night with a man. She glanced over and down into Tom's face which rested against the bed, nuzzled against the side of her body between her underarm and bust. He laid on his stomach and breathed deeply, she hoped he didn't get a noseful of mosquito repellant. He exhaled and wiggled his face deeper into her side. She fought the urge to grab his head and push it away. She could feel his breath against her skin through the thin fabric of her nightgown, she smiled a little; it tickled.

"Oh goodness."

Julien looked stunned as he entered the hut, eyes glued to the bodies intertwined on the bed. He turned ghost white, Jacks sat up quickly, Tom moaned his protest as he turned his head and continued to sleep.

"He got a hole in his net, and this is the only bed big enough for two people. I didn't want to risk him getting bit." She gestured to their awkward position. " He seems to be a wild sleeper. I know this looks bad..."

"Nonsense," he said, a relief softening the expression on his face. "You would be amazed at how common a story that is...but you and I will need to have a discussion this evening....and see to it that he gets a new net today."

She nodded and listened as Julien informed her that they needed to be ready to go in an hour. He left the room and Jacks looked down on a still sleeping Tom. He was comfortable and looked content, she hated to have to disturb him. She placed a hand gently on his shoulder and shook it. He groaned a little and, much to her surprise, lifted his head up and looked around before lowering his head onto her lap and sighing. She looked down to see if he had gone back to sleep, his eyes were closed, as she moved to shake him again he spoke in a quiet voice, deep and sleepy.

"It can't really be time to get up, can it?"

"I'm afraid so."

He sighed again, this time turning onto his back and looking up at her. He grinned, she had never seen anyone smile with that much enthusiasm that early in the morning let alone as soon as they woke up.

"Well then, good morning."

"Good morning." She smiled back at him. "I know my lap is super comfy, but I need to get up and so do you."

His grin turned into a smirk, and he ran a hand over his tired face before sitting up. The temperature was bearable, almost cool, the sun had not fully risen yet, though the beginnings of its dawn bathed everything in a crisp blue light. Nneka entered the hut and greeted them good morning without so much as a second glance. She carried a large pot of water which steam rose from, and from the corner of the hut she took three silver pails. She filled the pails one by one and sat one on Jacks side of the bed, one on tom's.

"Bathe yourselves in the shower stalls, wash with the hot water, rinse with the cold that comes from the spout."

She relayed her instructions in French, Jacks and Tom nodded their understanding. Tom grabbed his bucket and stood to leave.

"I'll see you in a few."

He smiled at her over his shoulder and walked out of the hut. Jacks went about gathering her things to shower with and her clothes for the day. She put her hair into her trademark top knot and sighed as she hurried to the shower stall, thoroughly ignoring the butterflies that fluttered non stop in her stomach.