The NEXT bit of my Nano

An image of the pint of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia tucked in the back of the freezer amongst the pot pies and Totino’s Pizzas flitted through her mind as she shrugged out of her clothes. I could use a nice, long hot soak, she thought, sticking the rubber plug into the drain. She let the steaming water fill the tub as she padded across the hall to the narrow kitchen. A cloud of frosty air enveloped her as she opened the freezer drawer and rummaged through the hoary bags of Brussels sprouts and green beans.

Pint of Ben and Jerry’s and a tablespoon in her hand, she padded back into the bathroom and let her robe drop to the floor. Slowly, she sank into the almost unbearably hot water. “Ahhhh,” she groaned, leaning back against the slanted porcelain. As the steam rolled up around her, she spooned ice cream from the carton, savoring the heat of the tub and the aching cold against her teeth.

Not until the water was tepid and the waxy container was empty did Stephanie reluctantly climb out of the tub and towel herself dry. Feeling delightfully drowsy, she pulled her flannel nightgown over her head, added more paper to the printer, and crawled under the thick quilt on her bed.

Content in her accomplishments, Stephanie drifted into a dreamless sleep.