"Hey," Justin said, his voice scratchy and early morning, and stretched until his hands hit the headboard and his back left the bed.

"No one wakes up smiling," JC said. "But I was watching, and you did. I think you were even smiling before you woke up."

"I fell asleep that way," Justin said, and rolled onto his stomach, squinting into the sunlight and smiling at JC.

[back]