(Just a short one tonight!)
He couldn’t breathe. An invisible weight crushed his chest, his head hurt, and the air smelled of smoke.
Until he woke up.
He spent a moment taking in deep breaths of the cool, fresh spring air being filtered through the window screen before he swung himself out of bed and headed to the kitchen.
He had just downed a second glass of water when he heard soft footsteps behind him.
“Max?” His wife’s hand slid onto his shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Y-yeah,” he said. “Did I wake Kaylee?”
“No,” Jules replied. “She sleeps like a log.” She tilted her head, hazel eyes studying his. “Did you have those feelings again?”
He nodded. “I-I wish I knew why I had them, but-” A helpless shrug was all he could say.
Jules reached up and gently brushed his thick brown hair from his face, hand resting on his cheek afterward. “Memory loss or not, I love you anyway.”
Max smiled in return and kissed her forehead. “I love you too.”
But even after they settled back into bed, with her comfortably nestled into his side, it took nearly an hour before his sky-blue eyes finally closed in sleep.
©H.S. Kylian 2019
(Critiques are welcome and appreciated!)
H.S. KYLIAN 