A Morning in Bed

by Phil Beloin Jr.

A dull colored bird flaps onto the windowsill, trilling in the early dawn. A slight breeze shakes the backyard oaks and maples, autumn leaves drifting wayward from my sight. The ceiling fan is on low, barely spinning, yet the motor hums and squeaks, and I’m thinking we’ll need a new fan soon. My wife is on her side, facing away from me, her usual position, her breathing a rhythm suggesting harmony. Now our Puggle that stretches between us, forming a sloppy vertical line of an H, is wheezing with each breathe, her back legs twitching gently into my side. And a few short moments later, the alarm clock pops on.

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Phil Beloin Jr.'s first novel, The Big Bad, has been published by Hilliard and Harris and is available on Amazon.com. He lives in Connecticut with the aforementioned bed mates.