Everything is quiet. The house has been put to bed, the dog put to bed, the lights turned off, the trash taken out, dinner put in the fridge. My people are quiet now, sleeping or close to sleep. Tears dried, cats curled at the foot of beds, appliances turned off. The dishcloth hangs wet over the sink. The moon sets slowly in the kitchen window.

I lie in bed, baby kicking. My lover’s hand rests upon my back. My mind is roiling with the plans of the week. I talk to it soothingly, like a puppy that needs to settle. Time for sleep now, come home. Come back from the world of ideas and into this body. Feel how sleepy it is, how heavy with fatigue. How much it wants to let go and rest, let the night dim the fire in our joints a little. Feel the baby moving, dancing in their world under my skin. They’ll be here soon, so rest. Breathe the night air, deeply, taste the shadows and the dust. Sleep now, be at rest, be at peace.