Anthony woke up feeling utterly exhausted. He had barely slept the night before. His mind was restless, and sleep seemed impossible. Every time he closed his eyes, thoughts of Claire, her mother, and the business crept in. He tossed and turned for hours, but nothing worked. Now, in the early morning light, he felt the weight of the night's sleeplessness pressing down on him.
He slowly got out of bed, dragging his feet toward the bathroom. The cool tile under his feet helped to wake him up a little, but he still felt groggy. Standing in front of the mirror, he noticed how tired he looked. His eyes were red, and dark circles had formed under them. He let out a sigh, turned on the faucet, and splashed water on his face. He grabbed his toothbrush, squeezed out some toothpaste, and brushed his teeth.
