Crouching down in a predator position, the orange and white cat kept completely silent. He had been patiently waiting for an opportunity to nab a piece of fish since he had started – an hour ago. This place did have the most delicious seafood.
And now, all of his efforts would finally pay off.
One, two, three…and GO! With a perfected pounce, the cat leaped forward and snatched a blue and silver fish out of the basket. At last! He had accomplished his goal!
“Ah, that cat! He is at it again!” came the screech from the fish basket guardian.
There’s my cue…thought the cat, bounding through and out of the kitchen – fish in mouth. This was a common thing – him stealing a fish, and the fish guardian yelling loudly at him. And sometimes, if she was especially mad, she would grab her wooden spoon and chase after him.
He had never been caught, however.
A few minutes later, he had finished his meal. Licking his paws daintily, the cat’s ears twitched as he wondered what other sorts of mischief he could get into next.
~~~
Adriana tsked quietly to herself as she surveyed one of the resort rooms. The bedroom was in a complete disarray – white sheets, blankets, and pillows were tossed onto the floor with some stains on a few. Food crumbs had made their disgusting appearance on the round coffee table, and the bathroom was a whole other piece of work.
Dark eyes scanning this, Adriana sighed in frustration. “Do they not have any decency?” she exclaimed, shaking her head, “Las personas!”
And with that declaration, she set to work. Being a single mother, Adriana had to work twice as hard as the average parent to provide. She had a three-year-old daughter, Maria, who was her source of motivation.
Suddenly, a flash of orange caught her eye. Whipping her head around, Adriana saw the source of her disturbance: a calico cat. The creature, far from repentant, meowed at her – tail flicking in the air lazily.
“No! You,” she pointed at the cat, “go!”
The cat blinked his green eyes at her.
Adriana heaved another sigh. Placing one hand on her hip, she wagged a finger at the small creature. “I cannot play with you right now. I have work. Trabajo!”
Apparently uninterested in her statement, the cat ignored her and instead pounced on the curtains that were moving from the air coming through the vent.
~~~
Is this really what my life has come to? wondered Celeste Lacey as she sat at a table – by herself – with no other companion save her dog. She was alone.
Of course, it had not always been this way. But fame has a way of isolating a person, even if several thousand people say they are your biggest cheerleaders, fans – or Celesties as they were called.
Celeste was a prodigy, everyone told her so. She could play the piano, violin, harp, and guitar. By age ten, she had started to compose her own music. As a bonus, Celeste had one of the most beautiful voices and enjoyed singing along with playing her instruments. Yet, this was not the entire reason that the world was captivated by her. That reason was much more serious.
Celeste Lacey was blind.
Her mind flashed back to the accident. The event that would change her entire world. She had been five-years-old…and – no. She would not let herself go there. Not again.
Sighing heavily, Celeste used her other senses to observe the resort. She could hear music playing through the speakers. Scrapping chairs hinted that several different people had risen from their seats – perhaps couples? They sounded happy.
Celeste shook her head, blonde curls falling over her face. Why had she come here, again? It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, really. A random judgement call to hop on her private jet and fly on over to the Caribbean islands. Even now, she wasn’t completely sure why she did it.
Maybe she needed a break. Maybe all of the pressure had been getting too much for her. Whatever the reason, Celeste was here now.
~~~
Evianna bit her lip tightly to keep another sappy, over-the-moon smile from taking over her face. As the music continued to play, however, she realized – as her mouth quirked up – that her efforts were in vain. And why was she trying to hide it anyway? This was the best day of her entire life. They were at a resort – a resort! – in the Caribbean as part of their honeymoon.
A giggle escaped out of her. She could not possibly be happier.
“Eves, what are you laughing about?” questioned her husband, glancing down at her. His ocean blue eyes twinkled inquisitively.
She blushed, slightly embarrassed at having been caught. “Oh, nothing. I-I was just thinking, about how happy I am to be here. With you.” Evianna looked up at him lovingly.
“I am too Eves, and hey, you know what these mean?” He gestured to their respective rings – one, a simple gold band, and the other, with the characteristic diamond.
“That we’re married?” Evianna deadpanned, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, yes,” he shot her a teasing grin, gently moving a stray nutmeg brown lock behind her ear, “and that we get to spend the rest of our lives with each other.”
“Forever,” she murmured, leaning her head against his chest, as they continued to sway to the envelopment of music drifting through the speakers.
“Yes, forever,” he repeated.
“I’m glad I get to spend my forever with you.”
Southern Dreamer 