Dream by the Sea

It’s dawn. The morning grays are still hanging in the sky among the vibrant red of the rising sun. There’s something peaceful about this hour, something that draws me to wait for the sun to rise before laying my head on the feather-soft pillows adorning my bed. It’s silent aside from the waves of the sea crashing into the granite cliffs beyond these walls. The first gulls are beginning to leave their roosting points, before long they’ll be calling to each other as they soar over head sounding to all that morning is here.

I stand here in my tea room; watching vigilantly from the window as the sun begins to peak over the horizon and the first of its rays shimmer across the water. I hear the rustle of blankets from the other room, turn my head enough to look over my shoulder through the door, he’s sitting up, eyes wide staring back at me. He asks me if I plan on coming to bed, I tell him not yet. He flashes me a smile and slides out from beneath the down comforter and walks toward me, feet padding on the hardwood floors.

I return my gaze to the window; the whitecaps of the water are reflecting the vibrant shades of the morning’s birth; hues of blue, red and gold radiating across the sky, and now the water. There isn’t a more amazing sight than this. I feel him fold his arms around my waist and rest his chin on my shoulder.

He’s warm; he’s always warm.

He glances down at the cup of coffee in my hands, and I see the smirk break across his face.

“You know, if you wouldn’t drink that stuff so late, you might sleep better,” he says.

“I don’t need to sleep; when I sleep I miss things. Besides, I’ll have plenty of time to sleep when I’m old.”

He laughs at me, a tired laugh meant to signify that he wasn’t going to argue with me about it, at least not now. I smile and tilt my head over so our cheeks meet then raise the oversized mug to my lips.

The gulls are calling now, announcing the new day has been born and another night has passed into the realm of shadow. The vibrant cerulean of the northern Atlantic sky tears across the horizon. The sun now sits high enough in the sky to play with the sheer curtains hanging about the window dancing in the morning autumnal breeze.

I turn and look at him, rest my head on his chest and listen to the steady rhythm of his heart beating. I feel the sting of tears in my eyes again, and I know that I’ll have to leave soon. I look up at him, and stare for the few moments we have left into his brown eyes, the ones that have been there through 10 years of good times, and bad.

I whisper, “You know I would give anything to stay here forever, right? You know that I don’t want to leave like this again and again; don’t you?”

Everything begins to fade to black.

“I know honey, I hate living without you, but I know you’ll be here soon.”

I open my eyes, the scent of the ocean still lingering in my nose. Why does it have to be like this?

Author's Note

Flash fiction piece, the ending intentionally left open.