Morning Light
By Eve Morton
In the desert, Alicia always wakes too early in the morning. After all the animals have gone to bed to escape the heat of the day, the humming of power and air conditioners in the motel room rouses her. So do the clanging carts from the cleaning staff and their muffled gossip spoken in Spanish. Alicia lifts her head past Tara’s curls, surveying the clock for what to do next. If it reads five in the morning, she goes back to bed. If it’s six, she gets up to write. Today it is caught in the middle of the two hours, and she does not know what to do.
Three months ago, Alicia and Tara, her girlfriend of five years, came to the desert for a writing retreat. It was supposed to last one weekend.
“I’m almost done this novel,” Alicia said after the first weekend had t
