Plato’s Bougevillea Vine

Merrily and cheerfully, Benedict woke from his night's sleep and rolled over to silence the alarm. The time a precise 6 o’clock. The window blind remained down and no light streamed from underneath. The dark winter night refused to let any light in. Benedict rolled under the comforter and went about waking Alice.

He softly patted her ear with his nose and kissed her cheek. She stirred slowly and smiled.

"Another lovely morning dear," she cooed.

"As good as the last," Benedict said.

He reached underneath and tickled the soft skin under her knee. She laughed and pushed him away. She looked up at his scrabble of beard and placed a hand on his chin.

"I think you should run to the shower," she said.

This short story is included in my book I Wander Away on Kindle.