The Morning Departure

Harrison

My eyes snap open to the dim light filtering through the heavy curtains. I brace myself for the familiar, suffocating panic, the racing heart, the cold sweat of a night terror. But my chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm. The sheets are dry. I turn my head slowly, my gaze landing on Tessa sleeping soundly beside me. A profound, deep surprise settles in my chest. I do not understand