She pretended to sleep so that when the woman said goodbye she didn’t have to respond other than mumbling a silent ”Yes. Love you. Bye”. It was true though. She loves her. At least it feels like she does. What they have is real and she knows she couldn’t possibly find someone who makes her happier. She can’t picture a life without her. She listened for the sound of the steps as the woman walked down the stairs. She could hear the door closing and keys turning the lock. The car starts and drives off. She was gone. And her day just began.
She got up and put her robe on. For the thousandth time, her feet automatically stepped into the slippers. It was cold and she would rather have stayed in bed, but she really needed to pee. The release gave her instant satisfaction. She could breathe normally again. She let her hands soak in the warm water before thoroughly drying them on a towel hanging next to the sink. The floor squeaked underneath her feet as she walked along the landing and down the steep stairs.
She opened up the curtains and welcomed the sun on her face. For a minute she forgot how cold it was. If she closed her eyes she could imagine herself lying on a beach somewhere far away from the winter chill, just for a second. The moment was gone. She hurried into the lounge, curled up on the sofa and pulled the blanket up to her nose. She could write a case study on the ceiling by now. Her eyes waters and eventually she knew would have to take her eyes off it. For how long has she been lying there staring? She gazed at the clock on the wall. Two and a half hour. Only seven hours left.