Same story, another beginning...
Jill walked back into her bedroom, cup in hand, and watched her boyfriend sleep. She wondered if he was dreaming, and what. He had been out late last night. Jill wasn’t sure how late, only that she already had gone to bed before he got home. He had stopped snoring and now was breathing heavy, spooning a pillow. Every minute or two he mumbled, as if he was baby talking in his sleep. It was cute. Sean was a good looking guy, but did a below average job of keeping his foot out of his mouth. He did better when he was sleeping, because you couldn’t quite make it out.
They had been dating for almost a year now, and she was pretty sure he wasn’t what she was looking for in a relationship, but she didn’t feel she really had a good reason for breaking things off with Sean. He wasn’t a bad guy at all, he hadn’t done anything wrong. So she stayed with him. Sometimes she blamed her indecision on the fact that, like this morning, sometimes she just watched him sleep.
Jill wished she had a reason, but only walked out the door quietly onto the landing of her second floor apartment. She paused, looking to the horizon: A faint red glow, then the sun began to peek over the buildings around her. To Jill, it was only the beginning of another day that would be over just as quickly as the last. That light came every single day, she had seen it rise before and it no longer held the magic of the first few. She had spent so many wasted nights lying awake for hours just to watch it once more. It seemed that she had done so once again.
Her problem wasn’t with the sun, though. She knew if she wanted her life to change she just had to do it. Wishing got you nowhere, unless you were asleep. Jill knew there were two ways out: wake up or dream life away. She honestly did not know which option she preferred.
Her eyes lowered from the rising sun to the skyline of Akron, finally settling on her car. In the distance smoke rising from the tire factory glowed red instead of its usual flat gray, the morning air was cool and crisp. No traffic, no shifty people, nothing. It was funny how a sunrise, even here, always seemed beautiful. If there was anything Jill was truly good at, it was finding silver linings even in the morning smog.
They had been dating for almost a year now, and she was pretty sure he wasn’t what she was looking for in a relationship, but she didn’t feel she really had a good reason for breaking things off with Sean. He wasn’t a bad guy at all, he hadn’t done anything wrong. So she stayed with him. Sometimes she blamed her indecision on the fact that, like this morning, sometimes she just watched him sleep.
Jill wished she had a reason, but only walked out the door quietly onto the landing of her second floor apartment. She paused, looking to the horizon: A faint red glow, then the sun began to peek over the buildings around her. To Jill, it was only the beginning of another day that would be over just as quickly as the last. That light came every single day, she had seen it rise before and it no longer held the magic of the first few. She had spent so many wasted nights lying awake for hours just to watch it once more. It seemed that she had done so once again.
Her problem wasn’t with the sun, though. She knew if she wanted her life to change she just had to do it. Wishing got you nowhere, unless you were asleep. Jill knew there were two ways out: wake up or dream life away. She honestly did not know which option she preferred.
Her eyes lowered from the rising sun to the skyline of Akron, finally settling on her car. In the distance smoke rising from the tire factory glowed red instead of its usual flat gray, the morning air was cool and crisp. No traffic, no shifty people, nothing. It was funny how a sunrise, even here, always seemed beautiful. If there was anything Jill was truly good at, it was finding silver linings even in the morning smog.