It was a clear, sunny morning but the air was chilly and the windows were frosted with condensation from the unusually low temperatures in Southern California recently. Although she enjoyed the recent chilly weather that allowed her to bundle up and be cozy, she couldn’t help but worry about the worsening climate changes. Maybe the end of stable habitability was closer than we all thought. She was typically environmentally conscious, thanks to her education and affinity for animals and nature, so those thoughts always crossed her mind.

She sat up in bed and yawned while stretching. She took a few large gulps of water from her bedside water bottle and glanced around the room to check on her cat. He was resting peacefully in his carrier, looking up at her, reluctant to get up this morning. He was usually quite hyper in the mornings and helped her wake up, but today was a cozy day. She had recently placed a small heating pad for him in the carrier and it seemed he enjoyed it as he spent most of his naps in the carrier now. It was an inexpensive, self-heating pad that worked as insulation for body heat. She splurged more on items for her cat than herself.

She heard the sound of the front door opening and closing and she smiled as she got up to greet her boyfriend as he arrived home from work. This was always the highlight of her mornings. She wasn’t lucky enough to be able to sleep next to him each night since he worked overnight shifts, but at least she was able to wake up to him coming home each morning.

“Good morning, love,” she said softly as she kissed him gently.

He smiled at her and kissed her back, “Good morning, beautiful.” He tossed his shoes off and placed his belongings down, settling into home.

She smiled as she watched him for a second, feeling lucky to have a home to share with him. She then turned to the bathroom to begin her morning routine while her boyfriend hopped in the shower to clean off the weight of work and settle in.