He woke at some point later into the deep part of the night when the building's noise was at its minimum. Petricia was asleep beside him with the settled quality she always had when she had made a decision she was at peace with, and the room was dark except for the streetlight coming through the east-facing window at the low angle that said it was somewhere between two and four.
He looked at the ceiling for a moment.
He considered Gerald and the Phoenix, realizing that Big G would eventually wake up in a dumpster, with his priorities sharply focused on his own situation rather than on Gerald's debt. That was the window of opportunity, tangible yet limited.
He reflected on Gerald's comments regarding the savings account and its intended purpose.
