I don’t like waking up early in the mornings. It may be because it reminds me of the fact that he is no longer sleeping by my side.

We lived together for about a year. He usually woke up first. On occasions when I woke up before him, I would turn my head to the left side to make sure he was there.

He was left-handed, so he preferred to lie on my left side on the bed.

Most mornings he would jump out of bed and bring me a cup of tea as if it was some kind of ritual. That was lovely.

While I was awaiting the arrival of the tea I would look at the ceiling. On sunny days, there was a reflection of the shadows from tree leaves on the street.

Now, living by myself, if I look to my left side, all I see is the wall. Those breakfast-in-bed days are a distant memory. But sometimes, when I wake up, I would turn to the wall for no particular reason. I wonder if he turns on the kettle in the morning for no reason.