With his head on her stomach, the incessant internal chatter was calmed like the rough seas of Galilee. The cacophony of voices was muted with a gentle stroke of his hair. "Peace be still" she seemed to say. For the first time in a long time, he heard the gentle brush of his skin against fabric, the gentle thump of his own heartbeat. It was a heavy silence, certainly an unfamiliar one.

These moments usually made him writhe in discomfort. The dual threat of boredom and isolation were always creeping closer. But somehow this time was different. It was a restful silence. Like a cat on a sunny window ledge, he paused as a gentle sleepiness came over him.While the chatter had a way of keeping him energized, it was also very tiresome. Without it, his jitteriness melted away like wax and he sank deeper into her body. He fell asleep a few moments later.