The situation would not change no matter how much Isaac thought about it, so eventually he gave up trying to find a solution and went to sleep. There was no point in torturing himself over something he could no longer undo, especially when his thoughts were becoming less useful with every passing minute.
He woke up groggily the next morning, thanks to his internal alarm clock. When he opened his eyes, he found Emily asleep in his arms while Celia was hugging him from behind, apparently having no intention of letting go even while unconscious. Catherine was nowhere to be seen, which meant she had probably left sometime during the night after deciding that staying any longer would make it difficult for her to keep control of herself.
Isaac sat up slowly and massaged his forehead. His mind felt strangely empty, and he spent several moments simply sitting there while he tried to remember where he was and why his body felt so exhausted. Then his memories returned.
