The other evening, my husband went to bed before me. He was wiped after a
long day at work, and I was still buzzed from my day of writing. So he
went to bed, and I watched a murder mystery on TV. This particular show had a man who was dating a woman he wasn't entirely in love with because the woman he really loved had married someone else.
The show ended, I turned off the lights, checked the locks and puttered off toward bed. I crawled into bed next to my husband who was snoring deeply. But I got to thinking… Wouldn’t it terrible to be the Plan B? I knew I wasn’t… but what if things had turned out differently, and I was?
This is how a novelist’s mind works when she really should be sleeping and is staying awake in bed instead. She works herself into knots, replotting her own story. What if?? I decided that the only way to untie this unrealistic knot was to get some reassurance. So I snuggled up to my husband’s back. He didn’t wake up.
I kissed him. Nada.
I patted him. No luck.
I rolled over and put my back against his. Nothing. I reached back and smacked him harder.
Mr. Johns sputtered and moaned.
Me: Oh, are you awake?
Him: Uhh…. Yeah….
Me: So, I was just wondering, honey… Am I the love of your life?
Him: (garbled) Yup.
Me: The one you’d measure everyone else against if I were to die an untimely death?
Him: Of course, baby. Soul mates.
Me: *smile*
Him: *snore*
Because men have a very hard time saying the right thing when they are half asleep, unless the right thing happens to be the true thing.
Being married to me must be interesting. Mr. Johns finds me intriguing, but that’s because he's in love with me. So when I wake him out of dead sleeps to ask him What If questions, he doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, the next morning, he doesn’t seem to remember.
That might be lucky. ;)
If you'd like to see more from me, come by my blog at PatriciaJohnsRomance.com, or you can find me on Facebook. I write for three different Harlequin lines. My first Harlequin Heartwarming book, A BAXTER'S REDEMPTION comes out January 2017. In the meantime, you can check out my other Harlequin books right here.
The show ended, I turned off the lights, checked the locks and puttered off toward bed. I crawled into bed next to my husband who was snoring deeply. But I got to thinking… Wouldn’t it terrible to be the Plan B? I knew I wasn’t… but what if things had turned out differently, and I was?
This is how a novelist’s mind works when she really should be sleeping and is staying awake in bed instead. She works herself into knots, replotting her own story. What if?? I decided that the only way to untie this unrealistic knot was to get some reassurance. So I snuggled up to my husband’s back. He didn’t wake up.
I kissed him. Nada.
I patted him. No luck.
I rolled over and put my back against his. Nothing. I reached back and smacked him harder.
Mr. Johns sputtered and moaned.
Me: Oh, are you awake?
Him: Uhh…. Yeah….
Me: So, I was just wondering, honey… Am I the love of your life?
Him: (garbled) Yup.
Me: The one you’d measure everyone else against if I were to die an untimely death?
Him: Of course, baby. Soul mates.
Me: *smile*
Him: *snore*
Because men have a very hard time saying the right thing when they are half asleep, unless the right thing happens to be the true thing.
Being married to me must be interesting. Mr. Johns finds me intriguing, but that’s because he's in love with me. So when I wake him out of dead sleeps to ask him What If questions, he doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, the next morning, he doesn’t seem to remember.
That might be lucky. ;)
***
Lol. This conversation sounds SO familiar!
ReplyDeleteI'm not the only writer who has asked this, I take it? LOL! I'm glad to hear it!
DeleteIsn't it amazing how fast men can fall back to sleep?
ReplyDeleteIn a heartbeat. ;) For me, I'd be awake for hours after that!
DeleteThey are simple creatures--in a good way. ☺️Love your bedtime plotting. I often get caught up in some new idea then or in second guessing what I've already written! Three a.m. Is the worst. Congratulations on your first Heartwarming!
ReplyDeleteThank you! And yes, my brain always gets busiest when I crawl into bed. Wish it would do that at reasonable hours. ;)
DeleteThat's what naps are for. Either I'll fall asleep, which is good, or I'll start thinking. Which might be good.
DeleteGreat blog to start the week. When our kids were babies I could poke my husband in the night and say the baby was crying and needed to be fed. He'd get up, feed and change baby and not know it in the morning, except he'd wonder why he was so tired. LOL I finally broke down one time and told him.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's hilarious, Roz! :D My husband wouldn't even shift in his sleep when the baby cried. He went from a very light sleeper before the baby to a LOG after the baby. :D
DeleteAs I drove my wife home from shopping the other day, we were listening to the Forester Sisters singing: I Fell in Love with You Again, Last Night... We just parked in out driveway and finished listening. We are married fifty-nine years and both in out eighth decade of love. I feel that way each night.
DeleteThat's so sweet. This blog is making me start the day with a smile. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patricia. :)
DeletePatty, that's hysterical! But yours is the writer's mind at work - everything is filled with subtext no one else notices. I'm happy for you that you got the right answer. I've never asked Ron if I was the love of his life, because he's still here, but I remember once in my forties feeling physically insecure, and I looked in the mirror and said, "I feel so fat and ugly." and he replied with great sincerity and affection, "You're not ugly."
ReplyDeleteOH, Lord, Muriel, you made me snort my coffee! Or Ron did. I'm not sure what he deserved for that, but sweetness and light don't come to mind. :)
DeleteLOL! That's hilarious! Men and their honesty... My husband has told me before that "you're not a small woman, and I like that." I haven't yet gotten up the courage to ask him if I'm fat. :D
Delete(I had a chuckle on Muriel's reply, too.) A wonderful, sweet blog. I know what it's like to have what ifs keep me up all night. You've probably got a whole new story worked out.
ReplyDeleteI laughed at Muriel's response, too! :D
DeleteAnd thanks! If only people knew where stories ideas really came from, right? ;)
LOL--yep I can totally relate.
ReplyDelete:D
DeleteAwwwww.
ReplyDelete;)
DeleteWhat an endearing blog, Patricia. Sounds like a good man you need to keep snuggling up to.
ReplyDeleteCynthia
Thanks, Cynthia. I agree--he's a keeper!
DeleteDitto to what Cynthia said above!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes with your upcoming Heartwarming release. I love the cover!
Thank you, Kate! :)
DeleteThat's so funny, Patricia! I'm glad he answered correctly and think it's probably a good thing he doesn't remember you woke him!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's definitely good that he doesn't remember most of these things. LOL! It works for both of us. ;)
DeleteLove this! You have a keeper there.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patricia! :)
DeleteI know that on https://topspyingapps.com/how-to-track-a-lost-phone/ you can find useful info about tracking lost phones. I had such experience recently
ReplyDelete