a lavish token, but he was gone. I decided to leave my window open slightly, hoping I would hear if he returned. I lay awake for a long while, listening for the sound of his footsteps on the gravel path and contemplating his gift, but eventually, my eyes drifted closed.
That night, my dream returned, but it was different, less obscure. Usually, the atmosphere was dark, and I could never make out exactly where I was. I just knew that I was searching for something but could never quite grasp it. This time, I knew exactly what I was searching for. A bright light formed on the horizon, and I walked through a colorful garden knowing what I would find when I passed through the gate. Chaseyn was there, waiting for me with arms wide open, and I fell into his embrace. We stood there for a long while, swaying to music that only we could hear. I felt safe, warm, loved. And then, I woke with a start. For the first time, I could remember all of the details of my dream, and I was engulfed in an incredible feeling of ease. It was as if a weight was lifted from my shoulders, and I was finally at peace.
The sun was glaring through my window, and the scent of cinnamon raisin French toast wafted through my open door. I scrambled to my feet, and inched them into the fuzzy slippers at the side of my bed. I wrapped a fleece housecoat around my body and walked to the door. Just as I neared the bottom step, I remembered the weight around my wrist. I ran back to my room quickly and tucked the silver bangle safely inside my dresser drawer. While I would put it back on the minute I stepped outside of the house —I didn’t want him to think I didn’t like it— I couldn’t stand the thought of answering what would inevitably be fifty questions from my mother about the elaborate token.
“ Hey, honey. I thought I could lure you out of bed with the smell of a hot-and-ready breakfast,” my mom said when she saw me come around the corner into the kitchen. She seemed to be softening a little.
“ It smells great, mom. Can I help with anything.”
“ Nope. I’m just about done here. Have a seat,” she said, pointing to the breakfast bar. She started doling out bacon, eggs, and French toast on to two plates before pouring two tall glasses of fresh-squeezed orange juice.
“ Thanks, mom.”
“ So,” she said sheepishly. “Where’s that beautiful bracelet I saw peeping out from under your duvet when I looked in on you this morning?”
“ Oh. That,” I said, wracking my brain for an appropriate response. “It’s nothing.”
“ Nothing? It looked like something to me. Until last night, I never even knew this boy existed, and now, he’s giving you jewelry. Honey, you should have told me you had a boyfriend. Is that why you were late Friday?”
I didn’t know what to answer first, where to begin. So, I went with the truth.
“ First, it really is nothing. I wasn’t even going to keep it; I barely know him. He asked me to try it on, and I forgot to take it back off. That’s all,” I said, the words coming out a mile a minute. “He just started at school on Monday, so I barely know him either. It’s hardly appropriate for him to be giving me such lavish gifts. And, yes. I was dancing with him on Friday, and I lost track of time. It was that simple. Is that everything?”
She looked stunned. I’m not sure she was expecting so much truth. She paused from pouring maple syrup on her heaping mound of French toast to look me in the eye. Her jaw fell open, then closed.
“ Was that so hard,” she asked. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been this open, Lia. I miss it.”
I was struck off guard by her response, so I stuffed my mouth full, giving me time to think.
“ I miss it to, mom.”
We ate in silence. It was quite a breakthrough for 9 a.m., and we needed time to recoup before taking the next steps. I wasn’t sure what my mom had in store for us today, but I
That night, my dream returned, but it was different, less obscure. Usually, the atmosphere was dark, and I could never make out exactly where I was. I just knew that I was searching for something but could never quite grasp it. This time, I knew exactly what I was searching for. A bright light formed on the horizon, and I walked through a colorful garden knowing what I would find when I passed through the gate. Chaseyn was there, waiting for me with arms wide open, and I fell into his embrace. We stood there for a long while, swaying to music that only we could hear. I felt safe, warm, loved. And then, I woke with a start. For the first time, I could remember all of the details of my dream, and I was engulfed in an incredible feeling of ease. It was as if a weight was lifted from my shoulders, and I was finally at peace.
The sun was glaring through my window, and the scent of cinnamon raisin French toast wafted through my open door. I scrambled to my feet, and inched them into the fuzzy slippers at the side of my bed. I wrapped a fleece housecoat around my body and walked to the door. Just as I neared the bottom step, I remembered the weight around my wrist. I ran back to my room quickly and tucked the silver bangle safely inside my dresser drawer. While I would put it back on the minute I stepped outside of the house —I didn’t want him to think I didn’t like it— I couldn’t stand the thought of answering what would inevitably be fifty questions from my mother about the elaborate token.
“ Hey, honey. I thought I could lure you out of bed with the smell of a hot-and-ready breakfast,” my mom said when she saw me come around the corner into the kitchen. She seemed to be softening a little.
“ It smells great, mom. Can I help with anything.”
“ Nope. I’m just about done here. Have a seat,” she said, pointing to the breakfast bar. She started doling out bacon, eggs, and French toast on to two plates before pouring two tall glasses of fresh-squeezed orange juice.
“ Thanks, mom.”
“ So,” she said sheepishly. “Where’s that beautiful bracelet I saw peeping out from under your duvet when I looked in on you this morning?”
“ Oh. That,” I said, wracking my brain for an appropriate response. “It’s nothing.”
“ Nothing? It looked like something to me. Until last night, I never even knew this boy existed, and now, he’s giving you jewelry. Honey, you should have told me you had a boyfriend. Is that why you were late Friday?”
I didn’t know what to answer first, where to begin. So, I went with the truth.
“ First, it really is nothing. I wasn’t even going to keep it; I barely know him. He asked me to try it on, and I forgot to take it back off. That’s all,” I said, the words coming out a mile a minute. “He just started at school on Monday, so I barely know him either. It’s hardly appropriate for him to be giving me such lavish gifts. And, yes. I was dancing with him on Friday, and I lost track of time. It was that simple. Is that everything?”
She looked stunned. I’m not sure she was expecting so much truth. She paused from pouring maple syrup on her heaping mound of French toast to look me in the eye. Her jaw fell open, then closed.
“ Was that so hard,” she asked. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been this open, Lia. I miss it.”
I was struck off guard by her response, so I stuffed my mouth full, giving me time to think.
“ I miss it to, mom.”
We ate in silence. It was quite a breakthrough for 9 a.m., and we needed time to recoup before taking the next steps. I wasn’t sure what my mom had in store for us today, but I
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