Jackie woke up scrambling for her phone. It was wonderfully silent and joy of joys, she actually woke up plenty of time before her alarm. Snuggling back into cozy pillows and blankets, the cat at the end of the bed redshifted to drape herself over Jackie's calf in the most perfect position.
Warm, dreamy and cuddled, she lets her brain drift and takes the easiest breaths she has in days. Idly, imagining additional chapters to the book she finished last night. Revisiting scenes and characters in her head. Then moving to fantasy standbys such as her oft wished for bookshop in a quasi big city with just enough population to keep her afloat, but not so much to become overlooked. Cities with neighborhood territories, all cut out and defended. Moves on to dream of coffee at a café and people watching wrapped up in a coat and scarf. Hands curled around the cup for warmth and comfort. No cell phone to weigh her down with alarms and expectations.
Jackie sighs dreamily, yes freedom from the today. Indulging in a pretend of later, of one day she will learn the name of everyone in a café where she reads each week. The bar down the street with decent music and a rotating art display. Someone will be named Tank and it wont be the bouncer. The bouncer is dating one of the café baristas and tells her that the secret to a relationship split by time is attention.
The cat begins to knead her leg, starting the wake up ritual. First the kneading, then the petting and then the fooding. Slowly, as slowly as possible Jackie begins to stretch out each part of her body. Rotating, cracking and counting her own breaths. Sylvia Plath comes to mind and she listens to her own heart beat, and thinks "I will, I will, I will".
