1:30 am

It is 1:30 and I am dead asleep. 

There is a motion beside me that alerts my senses. I wake.

Miriam is sitting on the side of the bed. I beg her to come back to bed.

She will as soon as she finishes something but I have no idea what that something is. Seems to have something to do with her shoes.

I get up and walk around the bed in the semi darkness to where she is slouched, right after I make a run to the bathroom. I am old guy after all. 

When I return she is still in the same position. She mutters something about shoes again. I still do not understand, but I kneel down and take her shoes off of her feet.  She protests. She has taken a pad off the shelf in front of her bed. She sleeps on the pad so she won’t get the bed wet.

I put the pad back on the shelf and swing her back to a reclining position. In the process of turning her so her head goes on the pillow end and not crosswise, the pad slips (we should have easy slide pads under her bum, I decide).

I do get her back in position. I tuck the bedding around her. All is well (I think).

On the other side of the bed I climb inside the covers still mostly sleepy. There is a chance I can get back to sleep yet. But then she wiggles and moves. I try to figure it all out. What wrinkle is bothering her. 

No luck.

So I get out of bed again and walk around to her side, pull the covers back and smooth out her long night gown while I ask about the current problem. Ahh, it is that long night gown that is the problem.

Covered up again, she is ready to go back to sleep. I return to my side of the bed, but sleep has vanished from my eyes and head.

Now it is 2:11 and I am wide awake.