The moment he woke, he knew he was alone in the cabin. Tossing aside the covers, he shivered a little as trapped heat was released and cold air rushed in. He shivered again as he pulled on sweat pants that had been sitting on the floor in the pre-dawn chill of the bedroom. Running one hand through his hair, he shuffled into the kitchen heading straight for the fresh pot of coffee that he knew would be there. The nightlight in the kitchen was the only light in the house but it didn't matter. He could navigate the place blindfolded. He filled the mug that was waiting for him and stirred a dash of sugar into it. After tapping the spoon against the rim of the mug to fling off the last drops of coffee, he set it back on the counter by the coffeemaker.
Wrapping both hands around the mug for warmth, he went outside, using his foot to pull the door shut, although it didn't quite latch. Good enough, he thought as he looked around the yard. With the moon already set and the sun not yet risen, the world was a murky blur in shades of black and grey. Seeing a dark silhouette against the darker backdrop of the lake, he nodded to himself.
She was just where he thought she'd be. He walked across the yard, the grass cold and wet against his soles. The rough wooden boards of the dock were slightly warmer, but just as wet.
She stood at the end of the dock wearing a shirt and sweatpants. Steam wafted up from her cup of tea, like a smaller cousin of the nebulous patches of fog drifting across the lake. Her head turned slightly and he knew he'd been heard. He came to a halt beside her, their bare shoulders brushing together. He could feel the heat of her body warming his flank, making the rest of his skin seem that much cooler in comparison.
A fish jumped somewhere out of sight, the splash loud in the stillness. They sipped their drinks, watching the sky lighten as the sun rose. At first it was dimmed to a small orange ball by the encroaching mist, but it soon brightened as the fog dissipated, burned away by its rays. Off in the distance a loon called out. A rosy glow tinged with gold painted the sky above the trees on the far side of the lake but soon faded into blue as the sun climbed higher. A family of mallards glided serenely past, not twenty feet from where they stood. The touch of the sun on their skin smoothed away the goose bumps. Dawn was over. A new day had arrived. Swallowing the last of his coffee, he put his free arm around her waist.
"Happy anniversary," he murmured, then softly kissed her cheek.
She leaned back into his arms and murmered, "to love, and be love, is to feel the sun on both sides. I want twenty more years with you as my sun."
~finis~
Happy Anniversary, LK. Twenty years is so special....I hope the next twenty go as wonderful as the last. {{Hugs}}
2 comments:
Thank you very much. I am glad you liked it!
Aw, and I missed it until now!
Thank you! ((HUGS))
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