WAKING UP

WAKING UP

… to what …

^^^^^^^^^^^

It was still fairly dark when her eyes opened. She listened and heard nothing. Instinctively, her arm reached to the other side of the bed. Cold. Cold and empty. Just like yesterday. And the day before. And how many days before that, she wondered. She stopped counting the days. Amelia wondered if she’d ever get used to sleeping alone, eating alone – just being alone.

She stood, walked to the window, and drew back the drapes to let in the peaceful glow of the rising sun. “Such a beautiful morning,” she sighed as she turned to tidy the bed. Yet, as she stood beside the king-sized piece of furniture, she stared into space and her mind wandered to another time.

Amelia, not sure of the time spent standing by the bed while lost in her memories, finally pulled herself back to the present day, tidied the bed, and walked into the bathroom for a shower.

She looked at her reflection in the large mirror that was positioned above the vanity counter where she sat each day doing her best, with a dab of makeup to improve on the beautiful face with which nature had already blessed her. She never wore much makeup. Never saw the use of spending money on something you’d wash off at the end of each day. Just a bit of eye shadow and mascara to enhance the color of her eyes that resembled the under side of an iceberg. Yes, they were that blue, but she never paid that much attention. She always felt that her eyes were meant for more important things than makeup and looking pretty.

She gently pulled her fingers through her beautiful auburn hair that fell several inches below her shoulders in loose curls. Feeling satisfied that she’d eliminated any knots and snags that built up during the night, she turned away from her image, turned the shower knob to full, set the temperature to 86-degrees and stepped into the thick-glassed stall.

After drying her hair, she dressed in the outfit she’d laid out the night before and applied her usual touch of makeup.

The coffee trickled into her mug as she buttered her toast. She ate as she prepared her lunch for the day.

It was only a thirty-minute drive from her home to the studio she owned that displayed the many photographs she’d taken throughout the years. Some were recent and some a bit older, but she thoroughly enjoyed her job as photographer-owner-manager, yet she couldn’t help but think how wonderful it was that the following day was Saturday. “Two entire days off to - - “, then numbly added “myself.”

As she entered her studio where her photographs of many images hung on every wall for everyone to see, her eyes unconsciously glanced at the untanned circle on the ring finger of her left hand . . and she remembered.

Ameilia, with many thoughts racing through her mind, stopped only briefly to peruse her life’s work as she made her way to her back office. Upon entering, she stood completely still for ten minutes, once again, lost in thought, then began walking to her desk to retrieve the keys that would open the closet at the far wall that held her cameras and their special accessories.

New memories of every kind began running rampant through her mind but not one thought settled to give her focus.

She sighed deeply, as she turned toward the far wall. She paused once again but this time, looked at the keys in her opened hand.

Amelia, straightened her back and as if in defiance, raised her head and stared straight ahead of where she stood. In the small alcove that was all but hidden from view, she inserted a key in the lock and turned it until she heard the familiar click.

Taking out her backpack, she checked her equipment, then made sure each battery was fully charged. Satisfied that she had what she needed, with a new determination in each step, she headed to the door and as she did, called to her assistant, “Joy, I’m heading to the pier for a few hours.”

Joy, her best friend and business partner, after hearing enthusiasm in her voice, looked at Amelia’s face and recognized the spark in her eyes that seemed to have faded with the passing year.

She called out, “That’s fantastic, Ami. Put your lunch in the frig and when I close for the noon lunch break, I’ll meet you there. We’ll go to Capt. Bills.”

Amelia, with an eager smile, answered, “Awesome! We haven’t had lunch at the pier in a very long time." Joy resisted the urge to say loudly, but thought to herself, “Yes, Ami, I know.”

Although Joy tried to restrain from asking the obvious question, however, curiosity overtook her and so she said, “Uh, Ami, you look wonderful, absolutely outrageously happy today. Can I ask why? Did something happen that I don’t know about?”

With a gleam in her eyes, Amelia’s face seemed to glow as she said, “Yes. Something did happen. Something wonderful!”

She hesitated only an instant, then said, “I woke up!”

With a smile still on her face and a swing in her step, she left the shop, headed for her car, then aimed her focus on the pier and the photographs that waited to be taken.