Chocolate Croissants

Like any hopeful beauty, she dreamed day and night. But what she saw was not just a happy ending. No, it was much more than that. She saw what she wanted and needed with all her heart. It wasn’t to make or add to her happiness but to enhance it.

At night, amongst the many paintings and countless stories, she laid in bed. She didn’t see the white picket fence with flowers blooming all around. She didn’t see kids running across the yard or hear a baby crying through the window. She didn’t even see her own fame and glory. What she saw was not what everyone told her to dream.

There was a dog though. He slept on an old worn out leather chair he had claimed when he was a puppy. They tried to throw it out but he had hopped up on it and sat there like a royal king being carried around by his loyal subjects. The picture is hanging on a wall if you don’t believe it.

There was a man too. He didn’t claim a chair, instead he slept in the bed beside her holding her close. Yet, throughout the night, he would toss and turn either curling up in a ball, lying on his belly or submerged in the sea of blankets. It wouldn’t be for long though.

Because in the morning, he would wake up, stretch out and glance down to see her curled up in the crook of his arm. He was checking if she was awake or still drooling along his chest.

Of course she felt his subtle movement and stirred in her sleep. A dampness would reach her attention and as she moved to wipe her mouth, he would chuckle softly.

Embarrassed, she quickly tried to hide the evidence but it would always be too late. He caught her and even though it was a hassle to wash his shirt every day, he didn’t really mind. But, he never would admit it. He took too much pleasure teasing her about it as she tried to hide her actions by rubbing her eyes or pulling the covers up to hide her beautiful face.

Still, the top of her head would peak out tempting him to lightly tussle her hair. And as his chest rose and fell, she brushed her face against him purring all along.

Once he would stop, she would climb atop his waist and peer down at him. A smile would brighten her eyes and the final rays of the early morning sun would push through the blinds. He would check the time and the dog would begin his morning stretch before clumsily walking over to poke his nose between the sheets.

The man would jump away from the cold wet nose only to pat him on the head. She then would rub his ears just the way he liked it.

The satisfied pup would then curl up on the rug just below them and patiently wait as the man taunted her out of bed with the idea of coffee and sweets. It sounded good to her but it wasn’t until he said the magic phrase that would finally pull her out of bed. Chocolate croissants were always a weak point of hers and he knew her well.

They shared one final kiss in the misty morning air and that would always be the moment her eyes would flutter.

It wasn’t just a dream any more.

© 2016 Jessica Santos

Hide and Seek

“Ready or not here I come!” he shouted as he opened his eyes and found me patiently sitting beside him.

Confused, he asked, “Aren’t you suppose to be hiding?”

Shrugging, I curled up beside him and pushed my back against his chest making him fall on to the bed and wrap his arms around me.

“I am hiding,” I said resting my head against his beating heart.

I heard the thunderous booming of his chuckling as he playfully teased, “I think you’ve forgotten how to play the game then.”

I shook my head, “When I was little, I was so tiny that I could fit inside the smallest space and hide away from the world…”

He lightly kissed the top of my head momentarily distracting me before I continued, “But now, with you, I feel like I shine brighter than the sun. So the greatest spot to hide would be right here in your arms.”

Kissing me softly on the lips, he looked at me curiously then covered my eyes and whispered, “Your turn.”

I sighed and closed my eyes. As he left the room, I began to count in my own darkness. I listened intently to hear his footsteps but not a sound was made. When I finally finished, I opened my eyes and searched the house.

I entered every room looking behind curtains, under beds, behind doors where I checked closets and hundreds of boxes holding our new furniture.

But, I couldn’t find him.

We only recently bought the house so there wasn’t much to hide around. So where could he be?

After searching and searching I returned to our room where my eyes rested on our orchid that sat on the windowsill. I smiled and walked over to its delicate resting place. Touching the sturdy leaves, I looked out into the street and giggled.

Dashing down the stairs and out the front door, I saw him sitting on a bench across the street in front of our neighbor’s yard.

He must have felt my gaze and looked up at me causing our eyes to momentarily meet. He smiled and beckoned me to join him.

Quickly, I snatched the keys we had left on top of an unopened box in the yard and joined him. He stood up and hugged me tight kissing my forehead before grabbing my hand and leading me down the street saying, “There is no best hiding spot as long as one is always looking.”

© 2016 Jessica Santos

Something About Summertime

It’s summertime for students and teachers alike. A time when everyone hangs out with their friends, significant others, and family.

I drive down the street and see several couples holding hands, kissing and laughing in merriment. Then, I get home and see my family and old friends who offer a sense of familiarity that you can’t get just anywhere. Everything seems to flow like the ocean that meets my toes.

Until, summer turns into weeks of repetition, stress for work, worry for tough classes and the inevitable question of “what am I doing with my life?” There’s just something about summer that everyone looks forward too but end up regretting their wish to be granted.

I’m currently in the middle of my summer and even though this is all hitting me, I still see the sun, sand and cool ocean water. After all, it is the little moments that one must hold onto. The hardships we face only heighten those brief seconds so that we may remember them as hours.

So as I curl up alone in bed missing the soothing warmth of my significant other as he is off at work, I smile as I remember the kiss he gave me when he said goodbye hours ago. It only lasted a second but it held a promise to love and cherish us the next time we met.

With that, I plan an outing with some friends to dump our worries in the ocean as we dive off a cliff and into its magical wonderful abyss.

© 2016 Jessica Santos