Shirley woke up with a bright smile on her face. She glanced at the clock and found that it was only 6 o'clock. Despite being early she did not feel any fatigue but energized. She realized that last night's sleep was probably the most peaceful she had this past week. No wonder she was feeling refreshed!
She quickly completed her morning routine and then sat on the bed. She looked around the room and her gaze settled on the soft rug neatly rolled up in the corner. Without giving it a second thought she went to pick it up and unfurled it near the balcony. She decided to do yoga. It's been so long since she did that.
Doing it brought back memories of happy times. Her mom was fond of yoga and this was their daily routine. She would start her morning with mom doing ridiculous poses all the while her mom correcting her posture. She cherished that time and held it close to her heart. Her mom was a surgeon and had a very busy schedule. So that early morning ritual of theirs was the only do-not-disturb time she had with her mom.
Her dad was a writer and most of the time working from home. She would sit with him after finishing her homework and for hours they would talk about plots and whatnot. He would laugh at her absurd suggestions and sometimes would use them in his books. He always told her that she was his muse, his answer to all of his problems.
But little did she know that she might be correct with the later but the former belonged to her mom. Her dad loved her mom and every romantic line he wrote in his books somehow seemed for her mom. Big brother and she would hide by the door and closely listen to them when her dad would read lines from his books to mom, especially poetry.
She was never able to hold her giggles, leading to their discovery and faux reprimanding. Then they would sit together and would recite their favorite dialogues from his books. Big bro would imitate her father and she would mimic her mom and then another round of laughter would follow at their ridiculous actions.
But all of this changed after a car accident that took away everything from her. Their little family was uprooted and nothing was the same ever again.
Shirley realized that it has been a long time since she reminisced those days. Remembering them would always bring an acute pain to her heart and she would be lost for days thinking why this happened to her family. But now, she felt a bit different. She was not sad and neither her heart was aching. She felt a smile tug at her lips thinking about those happy times.
Looks like, the wound that always remained seeping, unwilling to scab, was finally showing some signs of recovery. It felt covered by a thin layer of skin, fragile, an angry red, that reminded people of setting sun. Her wounds that troubled her for so long were letting her take a breather from all the pain.
Shirley remained lost in her thoughts but felt her body warm-up. Instinctively, she moved and faced the rising sun, eyes closed. She felt warmth spread starting from her face all the way to her toes. If anyone looked at her right now, they would not be able to take their eyes off of her.
She was radiant, under the golden rays, in a warrior pose. Her hands were not stretched sideways but raised over her head and joined together. It was like she was offering all of her troubles up above and asking for strength. Eyes closed, a small smile on her lips and those white workout clothes that cling to her like a second skin, made her look ethereal. She opened her eyes and felt the pleasant glare of the rising sun.
Her deep amethyst eyes shone brilliantly under the golden rays. She looked ready for the day.