from Sunday Morning by Stephen Styrsky:
When Nathan first slept in the family’s heirloom, his fear was of falling off. His first serious boyfriend also admitted it scared him, and they broke up soon after he tumbled out one evening. Nathan ascribed no connection to either event. Most people who have used the bed take time adjusting to its height. Not only can a fall be serious, but, stepping out in the middle of the night for a drink of water or a trip to the bathroom, one had to probe with a foot and slide down the mattress, difficult when semiconscious in the dark. Instead of a mountaineer, one was a spelunker looking for the bottom, searching for secure footing.
Nathan hardly ever slipped anymore.
