this

she woke up to the singing of birds in the trees crisscrossing the bedroom window. the morning was damp and the air was blue. he was still asleep and facing away from her. she stared out of the window knowing there would be no more dreaming for the rest of the day. there simply was no need for it. she rolled to her side to gaze at his bare shoulders. she quietly ran her fingers over the curl formed by his dark hair behind his ear and then kissed his warm neck. being careful not to wake him, she slid out of the bed and walked quickly across a cold wood floor which she knew the placement of every creak and groan and carefully avoided them all. she wore a thin white cotton knee length night gown with a loose drawstring around her waist and embroidery crawling around her neck and running along side her long braid that hung loosely down her back. the sun was beginning to warm the light coming through the kitchen window as she fed their two animals, an old curly sad dog and a cheerful but solitary short haired cat. the sky turned a pale blue as she walked barefoot from the backdoor to their garden where she buried her face in lavender and rolled rosemary leaves between her palms and rubbed their scents into her bare shoulders. her feet were numb from the dew and wet earth between her toes. she put her tan hands on her hips and tilted her head up to the tops of the trees where the birds were becoming more and more chatty, discussing the dreams they had and what patch of grass they might go look for breakfast in. she heard the water in the kitchen run and then stop as he was filling a teapot with water. though she couldn't see him, she felt his gaze through the kitchen window, and still staring up at the trees her eyes swelled with the perfection that was breaking open inside of a new morning. she smiled. she broke off a tiny branch of chamomile and glided back up to their house as he was opening the screen door. she put the tiny white flowers behind his ear, his green eyes shining like the wet grass under her feet. he smiled and then kissed her smiling mouth.