Page 59 of Nathan
Happy Days
Nathan
Knocking on Serena’s door, I called out, “Good morning, sunshine. It’s time to go.”
“What time is it?”
“Five-twenty.”
Serena came out three minutes later with her arms behind her head, tying her hair in a ponytail. She was wearing sneakers, a pair of leggings, and a loose sweater. “Wow, when did you do all that?”
I was pouring coffee into a thermal flask. The sandwiches were made, and the bag packed. “I woke up at five. Would you grab that picnic blanket?” I nodded to a rolled-up blanket on the dining table.
“Sure. Let me just brush my teeth first.”
As we left the cabin, I saw Serena yawn. “It’ll be worth it,” I promised and led the way.
“How far is it?”
“Not far. It’s just a five-minute walk.”
When I came here the first time with Jacob and three of my other friends, we’d gone fishing and seen the sunrise. I wanted Serena to experience the beauty of it.
The twilight made it possible for us to see enough to walk through the forest, but I still warned her when we went downhill. “Careful.”
Serena stayed close to me, and once we got to the right spot, she spread out the picnic blanket for us to sit on. It was perfect, with the patch of grass leading down to an old boardwalk that had collapsed and was now partly covered by the water.
“Jacob said it’s a tradition for his family to watch the sunrise from this place whenever they’re here.”
“How long have you known him?”
“About five years. He played rugby with Maximum. I’d come to watch them play and head to the pub after the games. Jacob and I became friends.”
“Is he a tall blond Swede?”
My mouth lifted in a smile. “He’s tall but with darker skin than me. His mother is pure Swedish with blond hair and blue eyes, but his biological father was from Nigeria, I think.” I shrugged. “Jacob grew up with his mum and his step-dad, who is a good-humored Irish bloke.”
“So, he’s mixed race like you?”
“Yup.
“Mixed race makes for beautiful people.”
We exchanged a warm smile, and then I poured us coffee. “Here.”
“Thank you.” Serena pulled her legs up under her and held her coffee in one hand and a sandwich in the other.
For a while, we sat in silence, watching Mother Nature show off with her daily magic trick of turning night into day. First, with a narrow line of light peeking over the treetops like a halo of gold. Then as the light grew stronger, it brought with it purple and red hues that bounced off the green trees surrounding the lake. The water had been dark when we arrived, but now it offered a perfect surface for the sky to reflect its glorious morning colors, making our view of the sunrise doubly magnificent.
“So, was it worth waking up early?”
Serena had her face turned to the sky with a smile on her lips. “It’s breathtaking... and kind of symbolic.”
“In what way?”
She gave me a sideways glance. “Last night, we agreed on a new beginning. Here we are watching this untarnished sunrise that bears all sorts of possibilities.”
“Mhmm. There’s something magical about this moment of the day. I love listening to the birds waking up.”
