Coincidence

In a remarkable coincidence, he fell asleep the very moment his head hit the pillow. Just a few minutes before he was wide awake, sitting on the couch next to his wife and watching TV. Then she decided to go to bed, and he followed her faithfully. He didn't fall asleep in the bathroom, brushing his teeth. He didn't fall asleep in the kitchen, taking a sip of water. He was completely aware of his actions when he took off his clothes in the bedroom. He even had time to say good-night to his wife while getting into bed and fumbling with the blankets. But the moment--the very moment--his head hit the pillow, he was dead asleep. Not dead but asleep so deeply that if she didn't feel his heart beating inside the cocoon of the blanket, his wife would've convincingly believe him dead. He fell asleep so suddenly that she wasn't sure if he'd even heard that she wished him good-night back; and he certainly didn't grant her the duly expected nightly kiss. She lay next to him, staring at the single fluorescent fish remaining on their ceiling, and thought about how strange it was that he should drop off to sleep just like that, at the very moment of collision of his head with the soft, freshly washed, linen. She stayed awake the whole night through contriving to dream up the coincidentally omitted kiss.