Her face was one of complete tranquility. Still asleep next to me in bed, she was the epitome of peace. It was a peace I dared not disturb by trying to force my presence onto it. Just being next to such a peaceful creature, hearing her breath in the morning stillness, was enough for me. I swear that had I not even known her, just this one image would’ve made me fall in love with her. I don’t know how long I spend like this, gazing like a happy fool at her, but eventually she began to stir and rouse herself. With a cute grogginess, she groaned and clutched the nearest thing, which so happened to be me. Burying her face in my chest, she slowly gained more and more consciousness. I petted her head with my free hand, gently feeling her soft hair.
 “Morning, love.” I whisperd.
“Mrngnmmmm” Was her response.
We sat in bliss-filled silence for a while more, enjoying each other’s warm and comfortable bodies. The winter sun slowly crept along the floor until it hit us directly in the face, forcing us to take refuge under the covers. “You know,” she began, “I like just lying here in bed with you a lot more than I thought I would. Usually I have to be up and about by now.” I just nodded and held her closer. “I don’t know why I wanted to say that, I ju—” I cut her nervous ramblings off with a quick kiss. Informed that she needn’t explain herself, she simply made herself comfortable Slowly, her breathing grew more and more steady, more and more distant even. My own breathing seemed to do the same as I lost consciousness.
I woke to the noise of birds and spring lawnmowers, clutching my pillow in my otherwise empty bed. The pain wasn’t there. The happiness wasn’t either. I felt numb, but most of all sick. That’s it: sick. Sick of reality, and sick of escapism’s fleeting and insubstantial nature. The rest of the day dragged on in that sickness, until I fell into my bed at the end of the day and dreamt of her again.