Thursday was Ashton's least favorite day because it was when Jeb stayed up at the office working very late.
As she curled up in the warmth of their bed, her heart ached for the man who usually filled the space beside her. Silence remained in the room until a single drop was heard on her bedroom window then another and another until it began to rain forcefully.
"Great" she thought to herself.
It made it more difficult for Ashton to fall asleep when it stormed but it didn't help that Jeb wasn't there to comfort her. In an attempt to become more sleepy, Ashton turned on the television to ABC to watch the interview her husband, Jeb, was in where he discussed his announcement to run for president.
Twenty minutes into the interview, Ashton dozed off, still holding the remote in her right hand. The storm picked up with lightning and thunder. Their beautiful home, which was just finished being built, could withstand any storm but Ashton always subconsciously feared thunderstorms. She tossed and turned in bed as her nightmares crept into her dreams.
A quiet creaking nose came from downstairs as Jeb came home, making his way up to their bedroom. He became confused when he saw the flickering light that came from underneath the door which was actually the TV screen still on from when Ashton was watching. He snuck into their room, trying not to make a sound and looked at the TV to find his wife was watching his interview; he softly smiled and was sad he didn't get to talk to Ashton about her day before she went to sleep that night. Jeb tiptoed over to where Ashton was laying and gently kissed her on the forehead and whispered a sweet "I love you." As he crossed the room, he took off his glasses and set them on the nightstand and released his briefcase and coat down by the dresser.
A crying noise came from Ashton, causing her to squirm in her sleep. He quickly rushed over to her and knelt down by her, his face filled with concern.
"No.. Jeb.. Please, don't go..." She mumbled in her sleep.
A frown formed on Jeb's face as he realized she was having another nightmare, these were quite frequent. He put his hand on her face, gently rubbing her cheek in order to soothe her. Suddenly, Ashton gasped and opened her eyes, slightly crying from the nightmare she had just awoken from. She quickly grabbed Jeb's arm and stretched out her other hand to feel his face.
"Hi." He looked at her and smiled.
"Are you okay, sweet pea? I think you might've had a nightmare..." He quietly whispered as he gazed into her eyes with loving concern, still stroking her cheek.
"I think so... But I'm better now that you're here." She responded, her voice slightly scratchy.
"I know you, Ash, come here." He said as he crawled in bed with her, still wearing his work clothes. He wrapped her up in his arms as she turned to face away from him, allowing him to be the big spoon. Jeb's hand tucked underneath Ashton's torso as he gently stroked her arm that was on top.
"Shhh..." He whispered into her ear, making her feel tingly and relaxed all at once.
"I love you." She softly said.
"I love you too." Jeb replied as he nuzzled his nose into Ashton's neck.
