Sunlight wakes me.

I lie, eyes closed, watching the flashes of light and shadow on the inside of my eyelids; enjoying the peace, the quiet. It's still early, I think - dappling like this through the leaves of my birch tree means the sun is still low in the sky, which in turn implies that I don't have to wake up just yet. There's still time for me to be here, in my favourite place.

With her.

I can feel her next to me - hear the soft sound of her breathing, smell the scent of her on the pillows and sheets. Were I to just roll over, I could...