The Crossing (Book 1)

Chapter 3

     Cera slowly opened her copper eyes and realized she was awake in time to watch the sunrise on this very special morning. Stretching her arms above her head and her legs out as far as she could until her toes were pointed like a ballerina, she smiled. Pushing back the covers, she slid out of bed and walked over to the door that led to the balcony. Cera opened the door with that same smile and walked outside in her oversized pajamas and bare feet. She breathed in the cool crisp morning air as she leaned down on the railing. Looking out at the skyline, Cera realized that for once she did not mind staring out from a hotel balcony as much as she had in the past. She had slept soundly the night before knowing as she drifted to sleep that she would need all her strength to take the hike through the valley. From the moment she woke and blinked her eyes, Cera knew that it was going to be a memorable day. A challenge awaited her, but she had hope that she could get Tom to enjoy hiking and maybe even begin to love the outdoors. Cera smiled as she imagined Tom looking at everything like a child might, seeing the wonder in nature and all the fun possibilities there could be. She imagined him running ahead of her through the full scattered trees on the trail to see some amazing rock formations or flowers that they had never seen before and asking her dozens of questions because he was curious about everything. With that last thought, she couldn't help the giddy feeling that radiated through her or the building anticipation that made her squirm with impatience.

     Cera smiled as she watched the bright yellow sun peek its way over the horizon as slowly as possible, giving the rest of the sky and clouds the amazing colors intended for photographs. Violet and blue met around the clouds that seemed to be brushed in a reddish-orange tint with hints of pink. The bright yellow of the sun flitted through the clouds, erasing the other colors as it slowly rose higher over the horizon. Lost in the moment, Cera let her mind wander and the railing of the balcony turned into a window with shutters that lightly fluttered as a cool breeze drifted around her. Warmth surrounded her just before she felt Tom's face push into the side of hers, rubbing his cheek on her hair, his bottom lip lightly teasing her cheek. Cera turned her head toward Tom's but he wasn't there. She spun around, eyes wide as she stared through the balcony door at Tom, still deeply sleeping. The balcony was just as it had been moments ago.

     "Weird," shaking off the feelings she let herself live in for the moment, Cera turned to stare back over at the extremely slow rising sun that still hadn't completely cleared the horizon. Cera was starting to feel impatient at how slow the sun was rising but didn't let it get on her nerves. She was about to wake Tom in a way she had never done before but had to wait because she had promised him that she wouldn't wake him up until the sun was shining through the windows. Little did Tom know that the sun would rise directly into their hotel room.

     Heading over toward the stereo, she flipped it on and turned up the volume until the music could be heard through the room. The notes from an acoustic guitar, violins and finally drums put Cera into a twirling mood. Cera danced back over to the balcony, opened the curtains to reveal the entire length of the doors, and started twirling in utter delight as the sunlight started to make its way across the floor and over to the bed where Tom was sleeping on his stomach. Cera danced across the floor to the bed and just as the sun hit the back of his head, she flung the covers off Tom who jerked his head up straight into the path of the sun and had to shield his eyes with his hand.

     "What the...Cera!" Tom dropped his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes. "What happened to the loving way you always wake me up? You're getting me back by trying to blind me, aren't you?"

     Cera was grinning from ear to ear as she got up onto the bed and started jumping up and down like a happy child right next to Tom, "I just couldn't seem to help myself this morning. I made you an extremely powerful promise and with a flourish, I kept it." Cera jumped off the bed and put her hands on the bed next to Tom, "Get up and get dressed lazy, it's time to go for that hike." Ignoring Tom's scowl, Cera skipped into the bathroom to get ready.