She sat in the tub and soaked. And soaked, and soaked and soaked until she felt both drenched and wilted at the same time. Then she soaked a few minutes more, until the water passed lukewarm and became cold as it swirled around her, wispy bubbles trailing lazily, the only remnants of the full bubble bath she’d poured over three hours ago. With a single pruney finger she washed dried soap and tears off her cheek as her other hand slowly pulled out the drain plug. She sat in the bathtub while the water around her dwindled, and only stood when the last drops had escaped down the drain. It squelched when she moved. Ignoring the water that dripped on the white tile floor of the bathroom, Ana moved quickly into her room wearing nothing and carrying a towel.
With the door shut safely behind her and any unwanted intrusions prevented with the click of a lock, she laid the towel out on the floor and turned on the ceiling fan. Ana closed her eyes to avoid the anxiety she always felt when her tired fan began rocking dangerously up on the ceiling and spread out each damp limb, in four different directions. A sizeable dust bunny landed on her nose and she picked it off cleanly without opening her eyes. Unnoticed, a small sigh escaped her lips. A few minutes more she lay like that, with the occasional dust debris floating down from above and the swift movement of her hand as she cleared her face of the unwanted passengers. Around her, it grew dark. It almost seemed Ana had fallen asleep, from the stillness of her body and the calm that made the milky face into a serene moon embracing the night and waving so long to the sun. Everything was silent.
Outside, a robin twittered; in the dying dusk another called back. And the moon split open and tears rushed out, pouring again down the miserable face, drying in streaks like cracks. Beautiful little fault lines that splintered out across Ana’s face and fell into her hair, dew drops on auburn grass. She drew into a ball and rocked, emitting petite hiccups. A picture on the wall drew her eyes and as they filled up with the tears, the kind that threatened to overwhelm her and consume her and never let her go, Ana ran to the bathroom as fast as she could, slipping slightly on the still wet floor before she reached the fat tub that sat glowing in the receding light. Slowly she stepped into the porcelain embrace and let the cool white basin hold her as the water filled up. This time without bubbles- the two baths she took today had used them all up. Ana made a note to herself to buy more tomorrow as the scalding water sent steamy tendrils climbing up her legs. Then she put the thoughts out of her mind and leaned back into oblivion.