awakening

She woke up crying. She didn't notice the tears for a few moments...instead, she realized that she was curled in a ball, hugging herself and a pillow, with an ache in her chest. She couldn't quite remember her dreams, just snippets here and there, fleeting bits of emotion that were fading quickly. As she rubbed her waking eyes, her hand came away wet...and that was when she noticed she was still crying. Not huge gasping sobs, just quiet tears slowly making their way down her cheeks. And still she had no idea why the tears, why the ache, why the sadness.

She sighed, got up, and started her day.