Harbor

She used to like to sleep that way, with one foot or hand always touching him, bridging the divide of the large bed, grounding her as she drifted between sleeplessness and nightmares. He found it irritating and constantly migrated away to the solace and coolness of his side of the mattress, trying to avoid her hot limbs. He did not understand nights visited by demons, strife, and the heat of her need interrupted his rest. It distressed him.

Then one day, after he had asked her to go, permanently, he realized that the bed was too large, that her presence had soothed him despite her disquiet. And, that though there were a myriad of reasons as to why he should be at peace without her troubled spirit next to him, he could not sleep and would spend most of his nights uneasy, wondering if she had found a safe harbor elsewhere.