The further from home they get, the colder it becomes. Outside, the houses are separated by long stretches of grass and trees and the ground has become hilly, the sky covered by a massive grey cloud. Snow flurries smack against the windshield, but they melt almost as soon as they stick. Bill steers with his knee as he zips up his jacket, and Laura has wrapped herself in a blanket and is staring out the window, trying but failing to hide a yawn.
"You should get some sleep."
"Are you sure? I don't want to-" She yawns. Bill chuckles.
"Yeah, I'm sure. We'll have to stop for gas soon; I'll wake you up then."
"Okay." Laura sighs.
She climbs over the center console and wraps her arms around his neck, planting a sloppy, tired kiss on his mouth before plopping back in her seat and curling up under the blanket. Bill smiles at her before he has to turn his eyes back to the road.
It doesn't take long for her expression to relax and her breathing to even out, her mouth falling open slightly and the blanket slipping from around her shoulders. Bill adjusts the blanket for her and brushes her hair behind her ear, chuckling as she crinkles her nose.
She looks so different when she sleeps. She seems delicate and at peace, and huggable. Sleeping Laura is always the best to cuddle with.
When she wakes up it will take her a while to open her eyes. She'll stretch and squeak out a tiny moan, and groggily mumble a "good morning" followed by unintelligible murmuring, no matter what time of day it is. If you can catch her like this, she'll have mussed hair and closed eyes, and you can trick her sleepy self into snuggling for a few more minutes, or letting you kiss her into wakefulness. Sleepy Laura is always the most kissable.
But if you don't catch her in time, she'll collapse mid-stretch, roll over and open her eyes, and it'll all be over. As soon as her eyes open, attentive and alert, she'll be awake. On normal days she might sit on you to wake you up, or she might make you coffee, or hop right into the shower, but in the car it's always the same. She'll open her eyes, pull the blankets up to her chin, look at you and smile.
"Hey there, sleepyhead," he'll say, smiling back at her. She'll laugh and crinkle her nose.
"Hello," she'll say, and then she'll look out the window, and grab a snack, and offer to share.
And so Bill simply smiles softly as she sleeps soundly beside him, because he knows just what's in store for him when she wakes.
"Shit!" he curses, swerving to keep from going into a ditch. He glances over at Laura to be sure he hasn't woken her – he hasn't. Eyes on the road, Bill, he thinks, shaking his head. He sneaks another glance at her and then snaps his gaze back to the road. This is going to be a long ride.
