in to each other again.
***
My hair hung wet over the back of the chair, my feet propped up on the wrought iron table before me. It was quiet; I was blissfully aware of that fact. The sun was rising slowly, barely over the horizon. I sighed, letting the steam from my coffee warm my face.
My cell phone vibrated in my lap. I smiled as I answered it.
“You’re awake? Hold on, hold on.” There was a slight ruckus and then Natalie counted, “One, two, three.” And three voices began to sing loudly.
“Happy birthday to you…” they sang, with Will adding silly sounds at the end of each line. I was laughing by the time they finished serenading me.
“We didn’t think you’d be up, so we were going to leave you a birthday message. But I’m so glad you’re awake because I can’t find my blue jacket and it’s really cold.” Natalie’s voice sounded relieved.
“Well, that was the best birthday serenade ever. I’m glad I was awake for it. Thank you.” I added, “I think you left it in the car; look in the very back.”
“Did we wake you?” She was moving around. I could hear the regular morning routine in the background.
“Nope.” I sighed contentedly. “I went for a long run and now I’m watching the sunrise turn the ocean to liquid gold.”
“You know, it is your birthday. You could take a break and relax, Mom.”
“I am relaxing, Nat. I mean, a run on the beach at sunrise? Pretty sweet.”
She laughed. “I guess it does sound nice. Oh, I printed out your picture and put it on the fridge this morning!”
“Oh really?” I smiled.
She was in story mode. “Yeah, Grams and Will were all ‘Who is that?’ And I was all ‘Mom’ and they were all ‘No way!’ You so do not look like you.” She laughed. “Not that you look bad!”
“I know what you mean.” I laughed softly.
“Oh, hey, Will says he loves you, but he doesn’t want to talk on the phone. So here’s Grams. Love you, Mom!”
There was a bit of static as the phone changed hands. “You’re awake? Isn’t it a little early?” My mother sounded surprised.
“Watching the sun come up,” I replied. I could hear Natalie and Will in the background, along with the faint tune of their favorite show on the TV.
“I think Natalie e-mailed your picture to everyone in her address book and added it to her Facebook page.” She laughed. “You look like a celebrity, sweetie! And then Will said he saw you on the news this morning—”
“What?” I had closed my eyes to listen to her and the familiar home sounds. My eyes were wide open now. “What do you mean, on the news?”
“Oh, we didn’t get to hear it. The TV was muted. And then when Will yelled that you were there and Nat turned the volume on, you weren’t there anymore.” There was a pause. “Eat one more bite, Will, please.”
I relaxed. “It probably wasn’t me.”
“That’s what I said. Have a wonderful birthday, sweetie. Dr. Pratap is taking Natalie to school and I have to finish getting Will ready. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Have a wonderful day. Thanks so much, Mom. Love you.”
“Love you too, sweetheart. I hope you’re enjoying yourself.”
“Oh, I am.” I felt a smile on my face as I hung up.
That conversation was almost as effective as drinking three cups of coffee in a row. The quiet was too quiet now, and I felt a bit restless. I stretched and stood, leaning over the balcony as the sun broke over the horizon in full. The hotel faced the beach, so the sun was behind us, but its early morning rays sent iridescent ripples from the coastline to far out into the Pacific Ocean. I took in a deep breath, letting the sound of the sea fill my senses.
My entire body ached deliciously. Every nerve was softly tingling, a reminder of the night before. I felt alive and awake for the first time in so long, and I hadn’t slept for more than two hours. That also hadn’t happened in a long time. I smiled a little then let my hand shake through my hair,
***
My hair hung wet over the back of the chair, my feet propped up on the wrought iron table before me. It was quiet; I was blissfully aware of that fact. The sun was rising slowly, barely over the horizon. I sighed, letting the steam from my coffee warm my face.
My cell phone vibrated in my lap. I smiled as I answered it.
“You’re awake? Hold on, hold on.” There was a slight ruckus and then Natalie counted, “One, two, three.” And three voices began to sing loudly.
“Happy birthday to you…” they sang, with Will adding silly sounds at the end of each line. I was laughing by the time they finished serenading me.
“We didn’t think you’d be up, so we were going to leave you a birthday message. But I’m so glad you’re awake because I can’t find my blue jacket and it’s really cold.” Natalie’s voice sounded relieved.
“Well, that was the best birthday serenade ever. I’m glad I was awake for it. Thank you.” I added, “I think you left it in the car; look in the very back.”
“Did we wake you?” She was moving around. I could hear the regular morning routine in the background.
“Nope.” I sighed contentedly. “I went for a long run and now I’m watching the sunrise turn the ocean to liquid gold.”
“You know, it is your birthday. You could take a break and relax, Mom.”
“I am relaxing, Nat. I mean, a run on the beach at sunrise? Pretty sweet.”
She laughed. “I guess it does sound nice. Oh, I printed out your picture and put it on the fridge this morning!”
“Oh really?” I smiled.
She was in story mode. “Yeah, Grams and Will were all ‘Who is that?’ And I was all ‘Mom’ and they were all ‘No way!’ You so do not look like you.” She laughed. “Not that you look bad!”
“I know what you mean.” I laughed softly.
“Oh, hey, Will says he loves you, but he doesn’t want to talk on the phone. So here’s Grams. Love you, Mom!”
There was a bit of static as the phone changed hands. “You’re awake? Isn’t it a little early?” My mother sounded surprised.
“Watching the sun come up,” I replied. I could hear Natalie and Will in the background, along with the faint tune of their favorite show on the TV.
“I think Natalie e-mailed your picture to everyone in her address book and added it to her Facebook page.” She laughed. “You look like a celebrity, sweetie! And then Will said he saw you on the news this morning—”
“What?” I had closed my eyes to listen to her and the familiar home sounds. My eyes were wide open now. “What do you mean, on the news?”
“Oh, we didn’t get to hear it. The TV was muted. And then when Will yelled that you were there and Nat turned the volume on, you weren’t there anymore.” There was a pause. “Eat one more bite, Will, please.”
I relaxed. “It probably wasn’t me.”
“That’s what I said. Have a wonderful birthday, sweetie. Dr. Pratap is taking Natalie to school and I have to finish getting Will ready. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Have a wonderful day. Thanks so much, Mom. Love you.”
“Love you too, sweetheart. I hope you’re enjoying yourself.”
“Oh, I am.” I felt a smile on my face as I hung up.
That conversation was almost as effective as drinking three cups of coffee in a row. The quiet was too quiet now, and I felt a bit restless. I stretched and stood, leaning over the balcony as the sun broke over the horizon in full. The hotel faced the beach, so the sun was behind us, but its early morning rays sent iridescent ripples from the coastline to far out into the Pacific Ocean. I took in a deep breath, letting the sound of the sea fill my senses.
My entire body ached deliciously. Every nerve was softly tingling, a reminder of the night before. I felt alive and awake for the first time in so long, and I hadn’t slept for more than two hours. That also hadn’t happened in a long time. I smiled a little then let my hand shake through my hair,
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