I slept until the sun reached the pillow

Dear Delyara, For nearly three years after leaving my abusive marriage, I woke before dawn whether I wanted to or not. My former husband used to come home unpredictably at night, and my body learned that sleep was safest in short pieces. Therapy, secure housing, and a protection order changed my circumstances long before my sleep believed them. I followed the same routine every night: lock the door once, place the phone on the table instead of beneath the pillow, use the grounding exercise when noise woke me, and resist checking the window repeatedly. Yesterday, I woke because sunlight was warming my face. It was 8:17. My daughter had made cereal by herself and was watching cartoons quietly. I panicked for one second because I had not been guarding anything. Then I heard her laugh downstairs. I remained in bed for another three minutes. Rest had always felt like something danger could punish. That morning, sleep lasted long enough to become ordinary.