about a girl
february 28, 2009

there was always something to smile about in the mornings. our bodies collapsed on the bed - her face looking like she was comfortable and content to stay in her dreams forever.

on the best mornings, i'd wake up just minutes before our alarms rang. mornings where god was kind enough to give the construction workers the day off. mornings when neighbors didn't feel like stopping for a chat right outside our bedroom window. everything was quiet. maybe you could hear the hum of the heater because she liked to leave it on overnight.

but in these still moments, i didn't really think of anything. i never had to worry about my future and the logistics of how we'd make it there. inexplicably, i felt like we were safe in our happiness. i told her this - on mornings before the alarm clock rang.

sometimes i'd lean over cautiously and kiss her when she'd be grumbling about this or that in her sleep. she'd toss and turn, kick her legs, and punch me subconsciously. sometimes all i'd have to do to calm her down is wrap an arm around her. she'd cozy up to my body sleepily and stop fussing. other times she'd push me away by the face. both were pretty amazing. she made me laugh a lot.

she'd set the alarm clocks to go off two or three minutes apart from each other. one was a digital clock and the other was her cellphone. both alarms sounded completely different. but unfailingly, she'd get startled by the sound that disturbed her peaceful slumber. when the clock rang, she'd pick up her phone and mash buttons for about thirty seconds, getting increasingly frustrated that the sound wouldn't stop. sometimes i'd turn off the clock for her - other times i'd just watch and laugh. two minutes later her phone alarm would ring and she'd desperately keep slamming the snooze button on her clock to no avail. i'm laughing out loud thinking of the way she'd groan, "whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy" rinse and repeat every few minutes. you'd think i might be embellishing this, but i'm not.

when it'd finally be time to wake her up, i'd turn off the alarms before they sounded. rolling on top of her i'd nag her - "wake up, stupidface." kiss her softly on the lips and the forehead. she'd keep her eyes closed ... maybe yawn and stretch her arms up in the air before she'd wrap them around my neck.

"morning," she'd say, making kissy faces.

i'd roll to her side and she'd pull my arm around her.

"you kept trying to turn off the wrong alarm."

we had two small comforters but we always slept under one together.

"stupid alarm."

on the best mornings ... just like that, we'd fall asleep together again.