Tomorrow

The man would wake up to her shuffling back into bed, and sliding her cold feet against his thighs. It was a shock at first, but he had come to appreciate the sensation. But he was always a bit tired, so he smiled to himself and enjoyed the peace he felt in his heart laying next to her. Sometimes, the man would wake up to her crunching on chips. This annoyed the man, but it reminded him of the times they would split a bag of Salt & Vinegar chips in college. This was one of the many moments he fell in love with her. This normally happened on the weekend, so he didn’t tell her this, but made a joke instead and went back to sleep. The man would finally open his eyes to watch her get dressed or dab her face with foundation. The man thought about all times she managed to transform herself, like the night they went salsa dancing and she wore a red dress. Or the night she was just as captivating, laying next to their first fireplace in a wool robe with a cucumber mask on her face. But he didn’t want her to think she only looked beautiful with makeup, so he just watched in adoration and said nothing. During work, the man delivered a sandwich to the woman, because she worked hard and he believed in her mission. But students were in the room, so he didn’t tell her how deeply he admires her as a teacher. Instead, he took mental notes as she guided a student through a series of critical questions and problem solving on a painting. After work, the man watched their dogs come up to the woman and lick her face. But before he could tell her how lucky he was to have her as a partner, the dogs turned to him and licked his face. So instead, the man hugged the dogs closer and thought about how warm it felt to have an ohana. The woman went into the bedroom to watch her favorite anime. This was her time to de-stress, and the man knew this. And his heart chuckled thinking about how much her nerdy side has changed him. For the better. But instead of saying this, he let her be and went to play video games. This of course would remind him of all the times they spent together battling virtual demons in dungeons or building a base to survive. But he never told her this. The man knew it was time for bed, so he took the dogs out. The man would look up at the sky and think about his life, as the two dogs pulled him forward. He’d think about his past memories, his current mood and the future he wanted with the woman. He’d pull out his phone to record a heartfelt message, but a street dog came around so he had to shove the phone back into his pocket. He’d tell her when he went back upstairs. The man would silently come back into their home, wanting to jump on the woman and unload all his thoughts. But the woman was asleep, so he whispered into her ear, “I love you more than you can know.” But the woman was already sinking into dreamland. The man would watch the woman taking deep breaths, and he’d press his cold feet against her. Tomorrow. The man thought. Tomorrow, I’ll tell her everything. And he fell asleep.