When next he awoke, there was a storm raging outside. It was winter and to be expected, though the storms this year seemed more ferocious and longer-lasting.
Ellis was already awake, dressed and standing by the window.
“How are you feeling?” asked Charlie from bed.
“Energised,” said Ellis. “The rest has done me good. And you, my love?”
Charlie sat up. “I feel the same. Full of energy and wide awake.”
He got out of bed, pulled on his clothes, and joined Ellis by the window. He kissed Ellis on the cheek and felt a little tingle in his lips.
“What are you looking at?”
Ellis nodded at the window. “The grass is much taller now. And the garden is wild and overgrown. There’s rubbish everywhere.”
“Probably from the storm,” Charlie suggested. “Blown in from the street.”
“And look. Mrs. And
