Autumn at the Inn, Part 3

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Speaker 1 If you're hearing this, it means you've already made sleep a priority, and that's something worth applauding. You've carved out this quiet moment to wind down.

Speaker 1 And I have something that fits beautifully into that routine. It's called Moonbird.

Speaker 1 It's a small screen-free device that gently expands and contracts in your hand, guiding your breath with a calming rhythm. You don't have to count or focus, just hold it and breathe.

Speaker 1 I got mine first and I'm using it right now. I use it whenever I record this podcast.
It helps me stay calm and centered as I read to you.

Speaker 1 And after seeing how much it helped me, my wife wanted one for herself, and now she loves it too.

Speaker 1 There's no screen to distract you, but if you like data, there's an optional app that tracks your heart rate and HRV.

Speaker 1 A recent study found that people fell asleep 28% faster and had 37% better sleep quality using Moonbird daily.

Speaker 1 If you're ready to take your bedtime ritual even further, you can get 15% off at moonbird.life slash nothing much happens. We'll have that in our show notes.
Moonbird.life slash nothing much happens.

Speaker 1 Welcome to bedtime stories for everyone

Speaker 1 in which

Speaker 1 nothing much happens.

Speaker 1 You feel good

Speaker 1 and then you fall asleep.

Speaker 1 I'm Catherine Nikolai.

Speaker 1 I write and read all the stories you hear on Nothing Much Happens.

Speaker 1 Audio Engineering is by Bob Wittersheim.

Speaker 1 We give to a different charity each week. And this week, we are giving to good old Doctors Without Borders.

Speaker 1 Doctors Without Borders brings medical care to people around the globe. You can learn more about them in our show notes.

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Speaker 1 Did you know one of the best ways to ensure you won't fall asleep is by

Speaker 1 trying really hard to fall asleep. I know it's weird, but it's true.
We kind of need to sneak up on sleep. Take a roundabout approach.
Just when it doesn't suspect we're coming for it.

Speaker 1 Bedtime stories are the perfect roundabout way.

Speaker 1 So just listen along as I read.

Speaker 1 I'll tell the story twice,

Speaker 1 and I'll go a little bit slower the second time through.

Speaker 1 If you wake later in the night, don't hesitate to push play again

Speaker 1 and sneak right back to Dreamland.

Speaker 1 Our story tonight is called Autumn at the Inn.

Speaker 1 Part 3.

Speaker 1 And you guessed it. It is is a continuation of the last two episodes.
Though you don't need to go back and listen to those if you slept through them, which I hope you did.

Speaker 1 This is a story about arriving somewhere you've never been,

Speaker 1 but where you feel instantly at home. It's also about eucalyptus and chamomile.

Speaker 1 A thick blanket at the foot of the bed, ducks on the lake, meeting a new friend,

Speaker 1 and a meal shared in the moonlight.

Speaker 1 Did you know that three out of four U.S. homes have toxic chemicals in their tap water?

Speaker 1 And here's the scary part. The water can look crystal clear and still be full of contaminants.
Things that can mess with your hormones, your energy, even your long-term health.

Speaker 1 And the standard fridge and pitcher filters don't do much to stop it.

Speaker 1 That's why I love my Aqua True.

Speaker 1 It's a countertop water purifier that uses a patented four-stage reverse osmosis system to remove 84 different contaminants. Things like chlorine, lead, forever chemicals, and microplastics.

Speaker 1 It goes way beyond the ordinary.

Speaker 1 No plumbing, no installation,

Speaker 1 just fresh, safe water at the push of a button. And let me tell you, I've become a bit of an Aqua True evangelist.

Speaker 1 After I got mine, first my mom asked about it, she got one, and then my friend did, she got one as well.

Speaker 1 It's that convincing once you taste the difference. And when I accidentally ordered the wrong filters, absolutely my fault, user error, their customer service was unbelievably kind.

Speaker 1 I sent one email, and within a half an hour, I had a tracking number for the correct filters.

Speaker 1 Aquatrue has been featured in Business Insider, Popular Science, and was named Best Countertop Water Filter by Good Housekeeping. And 98% of customers say their water is cleaner, safer, and healthier.

Speaker 1 I'm with them.

Speaker 1 So here's your chance. Go to Aquatrue.com right now and get 20% off your purifier with promo code Nothing Much.

Speaker 1 Aquatrue even comes with a 30-day best tasting water guarantee. That's Aquatrue A-Q-U-A-T-R-U.com.
Promo code N-O-T-H-I-N-G-M-U-C-H.

Speaker 1 Take the guesswork out of pure great tasting water. Try Aquatrue today.

Speaker 1 Now please get as comfortable as you can.

Speaker 1 Let your guard down.

Speaker 1 please

Speaker 1 let your guard down.

Speaker 1 The day is done

Speaker 1 and you are exactly where you're supposed to be right now.

Speaker 1 So soften.

Speaker 1 All is well.

Speaker 1 Draw a deep breath in through your nose

Speaker 1 and sigh from your mouth.

Speaker 1 Again, breathe in

Speaker 1 and let it go

Speaker 1 Good

Speaker 1 Autumn at the Inn. Part three

Speaker 1 The jingle of the cat's collar woke me in the night.

Speaker 1 I'd been deeply asleep,

Speaker 1 dreaming about train tracks,

Speaker 1 a bakery box full of cookies,

Speaker 1 and a lake with a family of ducks tranquilly floating on its surface.

Speaker 1 But the bell on that collar was persistent,

Speaker 1 or rather,

Speaker 1 the cat it was attached to was.

Speaker 1 The sycamore and I had already become friends.

Speaker 1 He'd greeted me as soon as I stepped into the inn with my suitcase in hand.

Speaker 1 I'd been momentarily stunned by the grand curving staircase

Speaker 1 and the rich smell of varnished wood and eucalyptus.

Speaker 1 I'd set my case down and stepped up to the foot of the stairs,

Speaker 1 leaning against the banister

Speaker 1 to crane my neck and look up through the railings.

Speaker 1 I felt something soft slink around my ankle

Speaker 1 and with a start

Speaker 1 looked down

Speaker 1 to find a black cat

Speaker 1 with bright green eyes

Speaker 1 sitting beside my foot

Speaker 1 playfully swatting at my shoelace

Speaker 1 which had come undone

Speaker 1 I stooped down to retie it

Speaker 1 and said hello to the cat

Speaker 1 I've learned to let animals show

Speaker 1 whether they'd welcome a pet or not,

Speaker 1 since,

Speaker 1 as far as I am aware,

Speaker 1 they can't speak.

Speaker 1 I watched his movements,

Speaker 1 and when he dropped his eyes and butted his small head against my leg,

Speaker 1 I took that as an invitation

Speaker 1 and reached out to scratch his ears.

Speaker 1 Just then we both heard a voice calling from somewhere far off.

Speaker 1 Sycamore,

Speaker 1 come on.

Speaker 1 We have a guest arriving any minute.

Speaker 1 The cat's ears twitched, clearly listening.

Speaker 1 And I whispered to him,

Speaker 1 Are you Sycamore?

Speaker 1 He just stared into my eyes

Speaker 1 in that slightly unnerving way that cats sometimes do.

Speaker 1 Footsteps were coming closer

Speaker 1 down a long hallway from what must be the back of the inn.

Speaker 1 And I pushed myself up to standing.

Speaker 1 Oh,

Speaker 1 you're here,

Speaker 1 said the smiling woman, who emerged from the hall.

Speaker 1 Then,

Speaker 1 seeing Sycamore at my foot, said,

Speaker 1 And so are you.

Speaker 1 I'm the one who was missing.

Speaker 1 I liked her immediately

Speaker 1 and felt another layer of tension and burnout melt off my shoulders.

Speaker 1 Within a few minutes, I'd been given a key

Speaker 1 and shown up to my room on the second floor.

Speaker 1 I was invited to come down for some tea and a tour of the house and grounds when I was ready,

Speaker 1 and I was let in on the

Speaker 1 quote, unquote,

Speaker 1 sycamore situation.

Speaker 1 The

Speaker 1 sycamore situation? I asked.

Speaker 1 Yes,

Speaker 1 she said,

Speaker 1 with a small note of consternation in her voice that made me laugh just to hear it.

Speaker 1 A sycamore takes his role as

Speaker 1 hospitality specialist very seriously

Speaker 1 and may try to look in on you during the night,

Speaker 1 you know, to make sure

Speaker 1 that you have everything you need

Speaker 1 and to see if something you need

Speaker 1 might be

Speaker 1 a cat? I asked.

Speaker 1 Exactly, she said.

Speaker 1 We both looked down at Sycamore,

Speaker 1 who seemed to be following along with the conversation,

Speaker 1 just waiting for his turn to interject.

Speaker 1 He had butted my ankle again.

Speaker 1 The innkeeper reached for a paper placard

Speaker 1 hanging from a ribbon on the back of my room's door.

Speaker 1 There was a large black paw print

Speaker 1 inked onto one side of it,

Speaker 1 on the other, a classic do not disturb message

Speaker 1 with one word added in large black letters at the top,

Speaker 1 so that it read, Sycamore,

Speaker 1 do not disturb.

Speaker 1 Paw print out means he's welcome.

Speaker 1 Otherwise,

Speaker 1 flip the message to the hall,

Speaker 1 and he will most likely leave you alone.

Speaker 1 I wasn't sure if she was serious.

Speaker 1 She looked serious.

Speaker 1 If this was a joke, she had a very reliable, straight face.

Speaker 1 He can read?

Speaker 1 I asked.

Speaker 1 She waved her hand at me, as if to say that it wasn't much to be impressed by,

Speaker 1 and said only in English

Speaker 1 Now

Speaker 1 settle in and we'll see you later for some tea

Speaker 1 and they both trooped out

Speaker 1 and closed the door behind them

Speaker 1 I'd still been chuckling to myself

Speaker 1 as I wandered over to the window and looked out at a view

Speaker 1 that was truly breathtaking.

Speaker 1 The inn sat on a small rise,

Speaker 1 and from my room I could see the sloping lawns below

Speaker 1 and the path that led to the lake.

Speaker 1 The lake was larger than I'd imagined.

Speaker 1 I could see the other side, but

Speaker 1 had to squint to make out the houses and docks there.

Speaker 1 Trees,

Speaker 1 so many trees,

Speaker 1 and they were turning all shades of yellow, orange, and red.

Speaker 1 I took several deep breaths,

Speaker 1 just standing there,

Speaker 1 letting the calm of the world I was looking at

Speaker 1 transfer into my body.

Speaker 1 I'd meant to unpack my suitcase

Speaker 1 and immediately go down

Speaker 1 to check out the rest of the inn and the property.

Speaker 1 But the exhaustion I'd been pushing to one side

Speaker 1 suddenly engulfed me.

Speaker 1 I'd taken my finger out of the dam,

Speaker 1 and there was no walling it back up.

Speaker 1 I kicked off my shoes

Speaker 1 and stretched out on the large, soft bed.

Speaker 1 There was a blanket folded at its foot.

Speaker 1 One of those thick,

Speaker 1 incredibly soft and heavy throws.

Speaker 1 and as soon as I pulled it up over me

Speaker 1 I fell asleep.

Speaker 1 It had been late afternoon

Speaker 1 when I'd arrived at the inn

Speaker 1 hours of daylight still ahead

Speaker 1 But when I heard the bell on Sycamore's collar

Speaker 1 and finally pulled myself from the deep sleep I'd been in.

Speaker 1 It was pitch black outside.

Speaker 1 I sat up in bed,

Speaker 1 still in my traveling clothes,

Speaker 1 the blanket wrapped around me,

Speaker 1 and blinked into the dark,

Speaker 1 trying to remember where I was,

Speaker 1 Though confused for a moment,

Speaker 1 I felt safe.

Speaker 1 I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Speaker 1 Even if the exact details had escaped me.

Speaker 1 Then I heard the bell again

Speaker 1 and remembered

Speaker 1 Sycamore.

Speaker 1 The sign still hung on the back of my door

Speaker 1 where the innkeeper had left it.

Speaker 1 He didn't know if I needed him,

Speaker 1 but by the steady ringing

Speaker 1 and the small black paw

Speaker 1 that was feeling around

Speaker 1 through the crack under my door,

Speaker 1 he had a pretty good idea.

Speaker 1 I struggled to my feet,

Speaker 1 pulling the blanket around my shoulders,

Speaker 1 and went to let him in.

Speaker 1 When I unlocked the door and opened it,

Speaker 1 I found him sitting on his haunches,

Speaker 1 looking up at me,

Speaker 1 purring loudly.

Speaker 1 Beside him in the the hall was a cart with covered dishes and a note.

Speaker 1 I looked up and down the empty hall and wondered how long it had sat out while I slept.

Speaker 1 I reached for the note,

Speaker 1 noticing the same dark green ink

Speaker 1 that had been on the business card that led me to this wondrous place.

Speaker 1 It just said,

Speaker 1 I thought you might be hungry.

Speaker 1 Still groggy, but feeling my stomach growl at the thought of food.

Speaker 1 I wheeled the cart into my room,

Speaker 1 ushered Sycamore in behind it,

Speaker 1 and shut the door again.

Speaker 1 I switched on a lamp

Speaker 1 and took a look at what had been set out for me.

Speaker 1 Under the covers was a basket of seedy rolls and crackers

Speaker 1 and little sealed jars of spreads.

Speaker 1 There were two shining apples

Speaker 1 with a small paring knife

Speaker 1 and a dish of peanut butter.

Speaker 1 Beside it was a porcelain cookie jar in the shape of an owl

Speaker 1 that was full of dark brown molasses cookies.

Speaker 1 There was also a thermos

Speaker 1 full of some kind of herbal tea,

Speaker 1 chamomile maybe,

Speaker 1 and a jug of water.

Speaker 1 I rolled the cart over to the window seat

Speaker 1 and curled up on it in the moonlight.

Speaker 1 I poured a cup of the tea, which was still hot and steaming,

Speaker 1 and began to cut the apple into slices.

Speaker 1 When I shook out one of the cloth napkins,

Speaker 1 a little packet fell out,

Speaker 1 and Sycamore jumped up beside me to sniff it.

Speaker 1 Cat treats?

Speaker 1 They think of everything here, I whispered, as I shook a few onto the sill.

Speaker 1 We ate together in the silence of deep night.

Speaker 1 Then I changed into my pajamas, brushed my teeth,

Speaker 1 and crawled right

Speaker 1 back into bed.

Speaker 1 I wasn't nearly done catching up on my sleep.

Speaker 1 Sycamore hopped up beside me,

Speaker 1 and as I rolled onto my side,

Speaker 1 he curled up against my chest and began to pur.

Speaker 1 I tucked an arm around him,

Speaker 1 and we fell asleep.

Speaker 1 Autumn

Speaker 1 at the Inn

Speaker 1 Part 3

Speaker 1 The jingle of the cat's collar

Speaker 1 woke me in the night.

Speaker 1 I'd been deeply asleep,

Speaker 1 dreaming about train tracks,

Speaker 1 a bakery box full of cookies,

Speaker 1 and a lake

Speaker 1 with a family of ducks

Speaker 1 tranquilly floating on its surface.

Speaker 1 But the bell on that collar was persistent,

Speaker 1 or

Speaker 1 rather,

Speaker 1 the cat it was attached to was.

Speaker 1 Sycamore and I had already become friends.

Speaker 1 He'd greeted me

Speaker 1 as soon as I stepped into the inn

Speaker 1 with my suitcase in hand.

Speaker 1 I'd been momentarily stunned by the grand curving staircase

Speaker 1 and the rich smell of varnished wood and eucalyptus.

Speaker 1 I'd set my case down

Speaker 1 and stepped up to the foot of the stairs,

Speaker 1 leaning against the banister

Speaker 1 to crane my neck

Speaker 1 and look up through the railings

Speaker 1 I felt something soft

Speaker 1 slink around my ankle

Speaker 1 and with a start

Speaker 1 looked down

Speaker 1 to find a black cat

Speaker 1 with bright green eyes

Speaker 1 sitting beside my foot,

Speaker 1 playfully swatting at my shoelace,

Speaker 1 which had come undone.

Speaker 1 I stooped down to retie it

Speaker 1 and said hello to the cat.

Speaker 1 I've learned to let animals show

Speaker 1 whether they'd welcome a pat

Speaker 1 or not

Speaker 1 since

Speaker 1 as far as I am aware

Speaker 1 they can't speak

Speaker 1 I watched his movements

Speaker 1 and when he dropped his eyes

Speaker 1 and butted his small head against my leg

Speaker 1 I took that as an invitation

Speaker 1 and reached out to scratch his ears.

Speaker 1 Just then

Speaker 1 we both heard a voice calling from far off

Speaker 1 Sycamore,

Speaker 1 come on.

Speaker 1 We have a guest arriving any minute.

Speaker 1 The cat's ears twitched,

Speaker 1 clearly listening,

Speaker 1 and I whispered to him,

Speaker 1 Are you sycamore?

Speaker 1 He just stared

Speaker 1 into my eyes

Speaker 1 in that slightly unnerving way

Speaker 1 that cats sometimes do.

Speaker 1 Footsteps came closer

Speaker 1 down a long hallway

Speaker 1 from what must have been the back of the inn,

Speaker 1 and I pushed myself

Speaker 1 up to standing.

Speaker 1 Oh,

Speaker 1 you're here,

Speaker 1 said the smiling woman,

Speaker 1 who emerged from the hall.

Speaker 1 Then,

Speaker 1 seeing Sycamore at my foot,

Speaker 1 said,

Speaker 1 And so are you.

Speaker 1 I'm the one who was missing.

Speaker 1 I liked her immediately

Speaker 1 and felt another layer of tension

Speaker 1 and burnout

Speaker 1 melt off my shoulders.

Speaker 1 Within a few minutes,

Speaker 1 I'd been given a key

Speaker 1 and shown up to my room

Speaker 1 on the second floor.

Speaker 1 I was invited to come down for some tea

Speaker 1 and a tour of the house and grounds when I was ready.

Speaker 1 And I was

Speaker 1 let in on

Speaker 1 the quote, unquote,

Speaker 1 sycamore situation.

Speaker 1 The sycamore situation?

Speaker 1 I asked.

Speaker 1 Yes,

Speaker 1 she said,

Speaker 1 with a small note of consternation in her voice

Speaker 1 that made me laugh just to hear it.

Speaker 1 Sycamore takes his role

Speaker 1 as

Speaker 1 hospitality specialist

Speaker 1 very seriously

Speaker 1 and may try to look in on you in the night.

Speaker 1 You know, to

Speaker 1 make

Speaker 1 sure you have everything

Speaker 1 you need.

Speaker 1 And to see if something

Speaker 1 you need

Speaker 1 might

Speaker 1 be

Speaker 1 a cat? I asked.

Speaker 1 Exactly, she said.

Speaker 1 We both looked down at Sycamore,

Speaker 1 who seemed to be following along

Speaker 1 with the conversation,

Speaker 1 just waiting for his turn to interject.

Speaker 1 He had butted my ankle again.

Speaker 1 The innkeeper reached for a paper placard

Speaker 1 hanging from a ribbon

Speaker 1 on the back of my room's door.

Speaker 1 There was a large black paw print

Speaker 1 inked onto one side of it,

Speaker 1 and on the other,

Speaker 1 a classic do not disturb message

Speaker 1 with one word added

Speaker 1 in large block letters at the top

Speaker 1 so that it read

Speaker 1 Sycamore,

Speaker 1 do not disturb.

Speaker 1 Paw print out

Speaker 1 means

Speaker 1 he's welcome.

Speaker 1 Otherwise, flip the message to the hall

Speaker 1 and he will most likely

Speaker 1 leave you alone.

Speaker 1 I wasn't sure

Speaker 1 if she was serious.

Speaker 1 She looked serious.

Speaker 1 If this was a joke,

Speaker 1 she had a very reliable,

Speaker 1 straight face.

Speaker 1 He can read?

Speaker 1 I asked.

Speaker 1 She waved her hand at me,

Speaker 1 as if to say that

Speaker 1 it wasn't much to be impressed by,

Speaker 1 and said

Speaker 1 only in English

Speaker 1 Now,

Speaker 1 settle in,

Speaker 1 and we'll see you later for some tea

Speaker 1 And they both trooped out

Speaker 1 and closed the door behind them.

Speaker 1 I'd still been chuckling to myself

Speaker 1 as I wandered over to the window

Speaker 1 and looked out at a view

Speaker 1 that was truly breathtaking.

Speaker 1 The inn sat on a small rise,

Speaker 1 and from my room

Speaker 1 I could see the sloping lawns below

Speaker 1 and the path that led to the lake.

Speaker 1 The lake was larger than I'd imagined.

Speaker 1 I could see the other side,

Speaker 1 but had to squint

Speaker 1 to make out the houses

Speaker 1 and docks there.

Speaker 1 Trees

Speaker 1 so many trees

Speaker 1 And they were turning all shades of yellow, yellow, orange, and red.

Speaker 1 I took several deep breaths,

Speaker 1 just standing there,

Speaker 1 letting the comb of the world I was looking at

Speaker 1 transfer into my body.

Speaker 1 I'd meant to unpack my suitcase

Speaker 1 and immediately go down

Speaker 1 to check out the rest of the inn

Speaker 1 and the property.

Speaker 1 But the exhaustion I'd been pushing to one side

Speaker 1 suddenly engulfed me.

Speaker 1 I'd taken my finger

Speaker 1 out of the dam,

Speaker 1 and there was no walling it back up.

Speaker 1 I kicked off my shoes

Speaker 1 and stretched out

Speaker 1 on the large soft bed.

Speaker 1 There was a blanket

Speaker 1 folded at its foot,

Speaker 1 one of those thick,

Speaker 1 incredibly soft

Speaker 1 and heavy throws

Speaker 1 And as soon as I pulled it up over me

Speaker 1 I fell asleep.

Speaker 1 It had been late afternoon

Speaker 1 when I had arrived at the inn

Speaker 1 hours of daylight still ahead.

Speaker 1 But when I heard the bell

Speaker 1 on Sycamore's collar

Speaker 1 and finally pulled myself

Speaker 1 from the deep sleep I'd been in,

Speaker 1 it was pitch black outside.

Speaker 1 I sat up in the bed,

Speaker 1 still in my traveling clothes.

Speaker 1 The blanket wrapped around me

Speaker 1 and blinked into the dark,

Speaker 1 trying to remember where I was.

Speaker 1 Though confused for a moment,

Speaker 1 I felt safe.

Speaker 1 I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be,

Speaker 1 even if the details had escaped me.

Speaker 1 Then I heard the bell again

Speaker 1 and remembered

Speaker 1 Sycamore.

Speaker 1 The sign still hung

Speaker 1 on the back of my door,

Speaker 1 where the innkeeper had left it.

Speaker 1 He didn't know if I needed him,

Speaker 1 but by the steady ringing

Speaker 1 and the small black paw

Speaker 1 that was feeling around

Speaker 1 through the crack under my door,

Speaker 1 he had a pretty good idea.

Speaker 1 I struggled to my feet,

Speaker 1 pulling the blanket around my shoulders,

Speaker 1 and went to let him in.

Speaker 1 When I unlocked the door

Speaker 1 and opened it,

Speaker 1 I found him sitting on his haunches,

Speaker 1 looking up at me,

Speaker 1 purring loudly.

Speaker 1 Beside him in the hall,

Speaker 1 was a cart with covered dishes and a note.

Speaker 1 I looked up and down the empty hall

Speaker 1 and wondered how long

Speaker 1 it had sat there

Speaker 1 while I slept.

Speaker 1 I reached for the note,

Speaker 1 noticing the same dark green ink

Speaker 1 that had been on the business card

Speaker 1 that led me

Speaker 1 to this wondrous place.

Speaker 1 It just said,

Speaker 1 Thought you might be hungry,

Speaker 1 still groggy,

Speaker 1 but feeling my stomach growl

Speaker 1 at the idea of food

Speaker 1 I wheeled the cart

Speaker 1 into my room

Speaker 1 Ushered sycamore in behind it

Speaker 1 And shut the door again

Speaker 1 I switched on a lamp

Speaker 1 and took a look at what had been set out for me.

Speaker 1 Under the covers

Speaker 1 was a basket of seedy rolls

Speaker 1 and crackers

Speaker 1 and little sealed jars of spreads.

Speaker 1 There were two shining apples

Speaker 1 with a small paring knife

Speaker 1 and a dish of peanut butter.

Speaker 1 Beside it was a porcelain cookie jar,

Speaker 1 in the shape of an owl,

Speaker 1 full of dark brown molasses cookies.

Speaker 1 There was also a thermos of some kind of herbal tea,

Speaker 1 chamomile, maybe,

Speaker 1 and a jug of water.

Speaker 1 I rolled the cart

Speaker 1 over to the window seat

Speaker 1 and curled up on it in the moonlight.

Speaker 1 I poured a cup of tea,

Speaker 1 which was still hot and steaming,

Speaker 1 and began to cut the apple into slices.

Speaker 1 When I shook out one of the cloth napkins,

Speaker 1 a little packet fell out,

Speaker 1 and Sycamore jumped up beside me to sniff it.

Speaker 1 Cat treats?

Speaker 1 They think of everything here,

Speaker 1 I whispered,

Speaker 1 as I shook a few onto the sill.

Speaker 1 We ate together

Speaker 1 in the silence of deep night.

Speaker 1 Then

Speaker 1 I changed into my pajamas,

Speaker 1 brushed my teeth,

Speaker 1 and crawled right back into bed.

Speaker 1 I wasn't nearly done

Speaker 1 catching up on my sleep.

Speaker 1 Sycamore hopped up beside me,

Speaker 1 and as I rolled onto my side,

Speaker 1 he curled up against my chest

Speaker 1 and began to purr.

Speaker 1 I tucked an arm around him

Speaker 1 And we fell asleep.

Speaker 1 Sweet dreams