She Is The Muse

2: An Assignment

Mom knocked on my door, but to her surprise, and quite frankly mine, I was already awake. So, I opened it with a cheery face, happy to greet her. "Good morning mother dearest," I said, opening the door, letting Murphy and, myself out. Not only was I awake, but I was also ready for the day.

"Morning, Jess. You too Murphy." She patted the dog while speaking until he ran off downstairs. "You're up early."

"I know, it's quite scary." I walked with her down the hall and shortly after, down the stairs. "Would you care to see a picture I took just yesterday?" I asked once I sat at the counter like I do every morning.

"Ah, is that why you're up so early?" She raised an eyebrow at me. I just smiled in response. She laughed. "I'd love to, just let me let Murphy out first."

"Good idea." My eyes looked over at the hansom gentleman waiting by the door who was looking back at me. Mom opened the door and he raced out, the wind around him brushing his fur back to match his ears as he ran.

Mom spun around just in time to see me grabbing my laptop and watching me open it. My attention turned to the computer yet I still heard brisk steps approaching me. A breath of air escaped her mouth or got sucked in, either way, it was in awe of my art on the screen. The picture of that crow flying elegantly from yesterday.

"That is magnificent, Jessie. Your timing is so impeccable," she said, her words flowing together through the long breath she released. I turned my head to see her face, her mouth agape but her features relaxed simultaneously. "What is the meaning behind this one?"

All my photos of mine have a meaning behind them, whether I plan to take them or not. This one is no different. But they all have different meanings to everyone.

I sighed and looked back at the glowing screen, "It was hard for me to find the meaning that spoke to me, but I eventually settled on my first thought. Some things in your life may be dark, whether that be the world around you, or your mind, but there is always light somewhere waiting for you, you just have to find it."

I chose this because a crow symbolizes the balance between light and dark, there will always be light when darkness is near. Not only that, but everything surrounding the elegant bird is dark and gray, so the crow itself is leading its way through the light. That is why this piece is called a brightening shadow.

Looking back at my mother, her features looked softer than before. Even though my words speak of darkness, it is not me who faces it -at least not currently, it is those who suffer every day who have a rain cloud looming over them, one of those people being my mother.

"That... is beautiful," she said, a crack in her voice. Her hand rested on my shoulder for a moment before it slid away as she walked away to let Murphy back in. The dog of mine came running to me, his tail wagging with joy. My lips turned up into a smile as my hands ran through his fur.

"So, what would you like to eat for breakfast today?" Mom asked while closing the door, which was flowed by her walking back over, but to the opposite side of the island this time.

"Uh, could I just have an orange and some yogurt?" She nodded and turned away to get the things.

I know oranges and yogurt aren't a common combination, but I don't eat them mixed. Oranges are just my favorite fruit and yogurt so there was something a little bit more since mom would never let me go without eating something decent for the morning.

No more than a minute late she sat the food before me and then sat beside me. We ate and talked, as usual. Once we were done, we threw the trash away and put the dishes in the wash. When we were done with all that, it was time for me to leave, so I grabbed my bag and things and then headed out.