Winter Awakening

I have been waking up early, jerking in my bed and bolting upright to see the light coming in the windows above me. Despite taking a long weekend before starting my new job on Monday my body is still in work mode and I have been unable to sleep in as much I'd hoped. Once the cats have scattered Duncan begins his soft whine, nudging the foot I hang off the side of the bed, tapping his cold nose to the warm valley between my toes.

It has been snowing and there is much running and sliding and celebrating to attend to. I, of course, am not quite as eager to venture out, especially since bed is so warm and my dreams have been so heavy. But he is a patient friend and very generous, so while I put on the hot water for my tea and feed the cats, he lays on the bed and waits for me, listening as I pad from one room to another, content to watch the snow come down, sometimes touching his nose to the window in hopes of catching a tumbling flake as it brushes past the glass. If he minds he says nothing so long as I bring my tea back to bed and sit alongside him, cradling my mug in my lap, breathing in the rich licorice mint scent, running one hand along his ribs. Sometimes I can coax him back to sleep while the cats wait for me, their warm pillow, to follow suit. Sometimes early morning naps are better than walks.