Dedicating Every Day to You

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Wake up, Kathryn!" Someone yanks my blanket off of me, and I shriek like I've been murdered. Alex stands over me, in his thermal pants and an 'I loved my husband before it was legal' shirt.

"This is a bad dream. This is only a nightmare," I whisper to myself, squinching my eyes shut. Alex has no respect for sleeping teenagers.

"No, it's family bonding time! We're going to take a sunrise walk, so get dressed." He hits me with a pillow, and I yelp and tumble out of the bed.

Five minutes later, I schlep downstairs, trying to pull my flannel as tight as I can. John is falling asleep standing up, and he has a shirt that matches Alex's. He's got a mug of coffee pressed against his cheek, and his eyelids are fluttering.

"Come on, you two! Don't just sit there!" Alex tugs his sweatshirt on and grabs John's hand. "This is going to be so much fun!"

The world is cold at four thirty in the morning. The blue darkness surrounds us, but there's a faint blush of grey creeping along the horizon. I do like the sunrise, even if I never wake up early enough to watch it.

"I'm tired," I whine, voice cracking a little.

"I'm cold and hungry," John adds, yawning.

"Oh, buck up, you two." Alex smiles. "It won't be long now."

I climb up into a tree, my limbs still sluggish. John helps me steady myself, and I perch about six feet up. Alex holds one of my hands, John holds the other, and the two of them meet in the middle.

The sunrise is absolutely breathtaking. It tints the whole world gold, and everything looks shimmering and magical and perfect. I tilt my head up and let the thin rays of sun wash over my face. The gold is followed by rosy pink, then orange, and very slowly, blue. My stomach rumbles, and I laugh, hopping down from the tree.

John tackles Alex with a giant kiss, and the two of them land on the ground. I roll in the grass, giggling.

"Yay! Grass!" I cheer, and then crash into a tree. "Whoops. Sorry, Mr. Tree."

***********

I'm attempting to nap on the couch, and John is sitting on me watching cartoons. Alex is puttering around in the kitchen, and I don't know who let him- he's worse at cooking than I am.

John's phone is in his back pocket, and it starts vibrating- right on my stomach. I yelp and sit up, giggling like a crazy woman. "Answer your phone, Daddy, before it vibrates a hole in me!"

John pulls it out after some difficulty and answers it. "Hey, Margarita." There's a mumbling from the other side of the line. "I know, I know, don't call you that. Anyway, what's up, sister? Yup. Okay. I can do that. I'll tell them. They'll be really excited. Bye, little girl."

"Was that Aunt Peggy?" I try to wiggle out from under John.

"Yes it was. She wants to know if we can meet up with her for dinner tonight. Some important news or something." John stands up, and I smile in relief.

There's a loud bang, and a nasty smell of smoke comes from the kitchen. Alex begins to curse in French, fanning the smoke with a pan lid. John sighs, then walks in and begins to help Alex douse whatever fire he's started.

I run in, waving a wet dish towel and trying to help. I accidentally hit Alex on the arm with the towel, and the towel hits the stove and lights on fire. John screams and sprays us both with a fire extinguisher. I'm covered in white foam, and there's still smoke gushing everywhere, but at least the fire's out.

Alex looks a little embarrassed. "So, should we order in for lunch instead?"

***********

I'm wearing a new dress to go to dinner. It's black, with little white polka dots. I have pink socks and a pink headband, and I feel like a girl from the fifties. I keep twirling, just to watch my skirt poof up, then settle.