Divine Affinity

14

Eiry stirred in her sleep, opened her eyes for a few seconds and then turned around to try to sleep a bit more because she had a terrible night just tossing and turning around. Eddie, who was the early bloomer, was still in bed too because she could feel the warmth of his naked body near hers and feel his heavy breathing behind her neck. Little puffs of air caressed the back of her neck as he breathed, making her thin little hair there stiffen. Feeling she wouldn't sleep more, Eiry opened her eyes and noticed a faint day light piercing inside the bedroom from under the door. It was early though. The clock they brought from their old apartment read in big flickering blue letters 8 am. Though tired, she turned on her back and stretched and then rubbed her eyes to shake the sleep away. Right after, she turned on her right side to watch Eddie though she knew he hated it when she watched him sleep. Through the weak light that poorly brightened the room, she saw how part of his hair covered his face and she gently pulled the wild curls away. His puffy lips slightly parted as he breathed profoundly. Eddie, amazingly, was lost in deep sleep and she didn't want to disturb him because he usually didn't sleep much. However, she brought her face closer to his and ventured a soft brush of her lips on his cheek before sliding out of the bed ever so gently to not bother him.

It was on her tiptoes that she left their new bedroom, closing the door gently and she entered the bathroom in the middle of the hallway. As she turned on the lights, Eiry walked up to the basin and stood in front of the mirror contemplating the dark circles under her eyes result of her disquieting night. She took a deep breath, disgusted with her tired semblance, and opened the basin's tap. Then, she cupped the cold water within her hands and splashed it over her face, repeating the process a few times until finally she washed it with her cheap cleansing gel. After, she brushed her teeth and then grabbed a rubber band and rolled her hair on a bun so she wouldn't wet it in the shower which was her next stop. Eiry opened the water and waited for it to get warm and only after trying it with her hand, she stepped under the warm water and had her morning refreshing shower.

When done and dried, Eiry put on her slippers and went to the living room where their bags were still scattered on the floor to find some clean clothes to wear. She grabbed a set of black lace lingerie that she put on and then she searched for the rest. Down at the bottom of one of the bags, she found her tight blue jeans, ragged on her knees and a black sweater which ending was misaligned in different angles, falling like a tunic. Then, she walked up to the window to have a better view of the landscape from their window on daylight. The day was gloomy. It wasn't raining but everything was wet for it had rained the entire night. She heard the fierce droplets battering against the window every time she woke up. The wind was blowing a little stronger than the day before for she could hear it whistle as it infiltrated in between the branches of the trees in the park. The trees danced according to its rhythm, bending, and shaking as the wind caressed them. She took a deep breath realizing that winter in Seattle could not be compared to winter in San Diego. She could see by the people walking at the park that it should be cold. They were wearing long coats and beanies, and some were even wearing scarfs.

"What have we done..." She whispered, feeling a lump in her throat.

After a few seconds, Eiry came back to the bathroom and ran moisturizer on her face and brushed her hair. Then, she pulled the sides back and tied it on a top knot, the rest fell lose down her back. As they needed groceries and everything that involved food and house cleaning, she took the chance to take a walk around the neighborhood and find a market. Eiry put on her pair of boots on her feet and grabbed her long black coat from the hanger and ran its zipper to close it, even pulling the collar fully around her neck. Then, she pulled her hair out of it and grabbed her little purse and the keys and she got out, closing the door gently.

As soon as she stepped out on the street, she could testify how her suspicions had been right. It was really cold and she regretted she did not have a beanie too as most people. With her hands inside her pockets, she descended the street watching people come back and forth occupied with their daily lives. From the park came the sound of children playing and running around. Feeling the breeze piercing through her coat, she crossed her arms around her chest. A cold breeze was blowing in the air, colder than the day before. Seattle's typical and known humidity could be felt as she breathed. Some sort of salty droplets that invaded her nostrils and travelled along the breathing canals until her lungs and purify it. She adored that though. The salty air reminded her of the ocean and made her feel a little closer to home. Putting her hands back in her pockets, she kept on walking not knowing exactly where she was headed. Then, she noticed a coffee shop right by her side, and as she hadn't had coffee that morning, Eiry decided to get in. Pushing the door, she found the place packed but she went straight to the counter to not waste any time. The atmosphere was too dense due to the heaters but the marvelous scent of hot coffee that floated in the air made everything perfect.