A Heartbeat Apart

chapter 1

It was a bright day. Soft breeze was blowing now and then through the tall branches, making them dance slightly. The trees whispered to each other through the soughing of leaves. Winter's chill began to fade and spring started to settle in, bringing together a symphony of colour and life. Warm sunlight was casting a golden shadow over the city of Vancouver.

Daylight was cascading through the window on the top floor of that five story apartment building. There was chatter of people, mostly workers who were throwing orders at each other. She walked in, carrying a huge box that read 'my stuff' and closed the door with her foot, shutting out the noise, then settled the box on the floor and sat criss-cross in front of it. Her brown eyes scanned the room which was now hers.

The walls were a light cream colour with white ceiling. There was a large shelf next to the door and a single bed was placed in the middle with a desk next to it. A tired sigh escaped her lips seeing the boxes that were lying around and stuff that needed to be arranged due today. Shifting is tiring and she absolutely hates it now.

She opened the box in front of her and began to take out her belongings. Her hands came to a halt when her eyes landed on a small frame. She took it out and stared at it for a while. There was a man in the picture, probably in his twenties holding a little girl with bright brown eyes in his arms, both of them smiling widely. She looked at his eyes as they twinkled with joy and it made her heart ache. She smiled sadly as she was very familiar with this feeling. She got up and placed the frame in the middle of the shelf with some other pictures which were mostly her holding trophies or medals in different grades.

"Aria?!" Her mother called from who knows where.

"Yes, mom!"

She walked out of her room into the living area where workers were assembling furniture and carrying things around. By the looks of it, most of the work was done. Her mother did hire a lot of people to finish moving in one day. Throughout the apartment, large windows allowed natural light to pour in, casting a warm glow over the entire space. It had a cozy yet stylish look to it. She passed by two men, carrying a huge sofa and ducked beneath a glass that probably belonged to a table to finally reach the open kitchen where her mother was standing giving instructions to the person fixing the sink while talking to someone on the phone.

She stood by the counter waiting for her to finish. Her mother was undoubtedly beautiful with blue orbs and light brown hair tied in a messy bun. Aria was slightly different from her with light brown eyes and dark brown hair that reached her mid back. A few strands fall over her forehead, while the rest tuck just behind her ears.

"Mom?" She said after a few seconds. The noise was giving her a headache. When Sofia noticed her standing there, she pulled the phone away from her ear and smiled.

"This will take a while, you don't mind if we order takeout right?" She asked and aria smiled nodding her head.

"Sure."

"Thanks honey."

She was again busy with the person on the phone and aria contemplated going back to her room. All this noise was making her head hurt so, instead of staying there, she decided to take a tour outside. She wore her shoes and closed the door making the pattern click in and stood there wondering what to do next. She tilted her head sideways to take a better look at her surroundings. The hallway was empty with a lift at one end and a door that reads 'exit' at the other. Some plant pots stood by the walls at some distance for decorating the space. There were two apartments on each floor and looking at the door right in front of her made her wonder who lives here. Whoever they are, they're pretty much neighbours now.

She started to walk towards the exit door as the lift was of no interest. She opened it and looked around. A staircase that will take you all the way down with exit doors at each floor and stairs that go up to the rooftop. She started ascending stairs to the rooftop. She pushed open the door and was instantly met by a cool breeze that tousled her hair and blew it back. She closed her eyes feeling the wind hit her face and it gave her a sense of peace, although she felt a little cold only wearing a big white t-shirt and dark jeans.