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| Artcard by Author |
In the early morning, sunbeams frolicked through her open window, dancing around her outstretched hand. The wind blew softly, bringing with it the sweet melodies of the songbirds’ first rehearsals of the day. She smiled. Her fingers flitted about in the air, catching the golden rays and letting the warmth soak into her skin. It felt almost familiar, like something else that had been lingering on her mind.
Somewhere else, where the curtains were drawn, the sun wrestled its way into a single sliver of opportunity. Between the black fabric, a single beam of light darted across the dark room and jumped onto his closed eyes. He winced and groaned, but it was too late. The sun had woken him up. He sat up and huffed at the smug spot of light before walking over and parting the curtains, letting the light flood in. The brightness and warmth hit him all at once, and he sat back and let it envelop him. He hadn’t had much sleep last night. There was a persistent something that wouldn’t leave his thoughts. Maybe a someone.
It was barely anything. A gaze held just a second too long. The slightest brush of hands in passing. Finding her in his favorite spots, even though he doesn’t usually see her there. And her smile, that dazzling, time-stopping, room-brightening smile, slowly growing on her face when he’s near. He must be imagining it.
As for her, she was certainly using her imagination. As she wove the sunlight between her fingers, she thought of his hand around hers. She thought of what might be, what could be, what had a chance to be. . . She thought of every awkward joke he made just to make her laugh, every door he opened for her to step into, every time her heart skipped a beat or five when he looked at her. It couldn't be a coincidence.
All at once, the same thought sprang up in both of their minds: it’s Valentine’s Day!
They both shot up in excitement, a laugh building in her throat and a panic in his. She was beaming, leaning out the window, and anticipating the day to come. As for him, he scrambled frantically around the room, trying to come up with something. Whirlwinds started up in both of their sunlit rooms, with emotions and plans and papers and clothes and thoughts spinning wildly around as they got ready for the day.
The hours dragged on for both of them, time seemingly never moving fast enough to get out of class and get a glimpse of each other in the hallways. When they did see each other, it was fleeting and never quite enough. A nervous grin from her, an awkward shuffling of feet from him. . . and the energy of the day slowly turned from excited to anxious. In the last class of the day, the sun began shying away from the sky.
She chewed on the end of her pencil, eyebrows furrowed and eyes downturned. A whole day was passing, and nothing had changed. Not the long stares, not the goofy jokes, not the yearning for his hand to reach out. Not the empty air between them either. She wondered again about what could be, and made a decision. If he wasn’t going to acknowledge it, on Valentine's Day of all days, then she would.
In another room, he was watching the sky turn pink and gray as the sun sank. On the table in front of him was his handiwork, something he’d been working on all day. Every lingering touch, every yearning glance, every time she smiled that brilliant smile of hers, he couldn’t get enough of it. Imagination or not, he was going to tell her. His fingers ached from the intricate work, but a sly grin settled on his face as he waited for the day to end.
There, in the hallway, they locked eyes. His hands were behind his back, the corner of his mouth turned upward. She charged at him immediately, a resolute look on her face, but before she could get a word out, he brought his hands out from behind his back. Her march came to a halt. In his aching hands was a bouquet of paper flowers, each carefully folded into a pink-and-white lily, her favorite. Though the sun had long disappeared beneath the horizon, the whole hallway lit up. She smiled her brilliant, radiant, earth-shattering smile, and all he saw was her.
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