Birds sang jubilant songs. Amber dragged her eyes open and looked at the clock sitting on the nightstand. She blinked to focus and looked again. Six o’clock! She rolled over and stared at the window. Against the white blossoms of the dogwood tree sat a bright red cardinal, singing happily. “Hey, you stupid bird, shut up. It’s only six o’clock. I don’t want to get up yet.” Ignoring her, the cardinal continued to chirp. The warm bump against Amber’s back moved. Midnight planted her hind feet against Amber’s ass and pushed herself into a long stretch. Her claws dug into Amber’s left cheek. Amber rolled away very quickly. “Ouch! Midnight! How often have I told you not to use me for your stretching board?” Rubbing her ass, Amber pushed herself into a sitting position and yawned. Six o’clock in the morning. Damn, but she was spoiled. Even when she was working, she’d been able to sleep until seven, or seven-thirty if she rushed. She blinked. Oh well. The whole house had to be cleaned, so getting up early was probably a good thing.
