At Peace

She lay amongst the long grass, not caring about the green that would inevitably stain her white dress. Her long, vibrant red hair was spread out around her head, in stark contrast with the luscious green grass and forming a sort of halo. Gazing at the deep blue sky, she watched as the clouds shifted and changed, and seemed to chase each other. She had never been one of those people who could look at the clouds and see rational shapes straight away. She only ever saw splotches, as if someone had thrown white paint at a blue canvas. But she liked it that way, she liked the chaos is entailed.

Feeling the warm sun on her skin, she closed her eyes. Despite the faint trace of music coming from the fields behind her, the silence of her little spot on the hill was deafening. She lay still and listened to the wind ruffling the grass and the folds of her dress, and bathed in the fact that she felt she could see the clouds with even her eyes closed. She smiled quietly to herself.

Despite everything, she had made it. Despite all the fear and the hurt and the scars, here she was. The years of living depressed in terror were finally over, and now she lay here, sure of herself and stronger for it.

Finally, she was peaceful.

She heard footsteps approaching and her small smile seemed to spread throughout her body, yet she didn’t open her eyes.

She felt her new husband place his shoes next to hers, and soon a weight settled in next to her and a steady hand slipped into hers.

There was no need for words. As they both lay there in the soft grass, not caring about anything but the feel of the green ground under them and the sureness of each other’s hand in theirs, they both smiled, and felt that everything had already been said.