Steve and Linda were hard-working individuals. Every day was practically a repeat of the one before, each ending in fatigue from the day's labor. Steve, with a physique akin to a lumberjack, worked long hours at the local air conditioning company. Linda, a delicate flower but tough as a rose's thorns, managed a nursing home downtown.
Tonight, they fell asleep around 8 p.m. Steve, as he always did, found comfort in Linda's embrace, and within seconds, was sound asleep. His bear-like snores soon filled the silence of their apartment master bedroom .
Linda was a bit of a night owl, not one to doze off easily. So, with Steve fast asleep, she reached over to the bedside table for the TV remote. The volume was low, just enough for her to catch on her favorite late-night sitcom without waking Steve.
Hours passed. Suddenly, the quiet late-night television ambiance exploded into a thunderous crescendo of noise from a surprise action scene. POW, BOOM, BING, echoed from the speakers. Startled from his peaceful sleeping, Steve jumped upright. Glancing at the glowing red numbers of the alarm clock on his bedside table, he spoke out in frustration, 12:45 A.M. really? Are you crazy, Linda? We both have to be to work in the morning and I have to drop you off so that means we have to leave an extra hour early! So Go to bed!
Sleepy-eyed, Linda snapped back defensively, Who are you talking to like that? I'm not your child! She paused for a moment before continuing, And besides, you were snoring too loud.
In the calm of the ensuing silence, they looked at each other. Linda had that miffed look that said, You messed with my show and Steve was just too groggy to fight back. Sighing, Steve fell back onto his pillow. Meanwhile, Linda adjusted the TV's volume before diving back into her sitcom, ready for the night's continued marathon. After all, if she couldn't sleep, she might as well enjoy the night's programming. The light chatter from the television joined Steve's soft snores, becoming a unique nocturnal symphony that signaled another typical night in their lives.