Sunlight began brimming over the horizon at ten minutes past five. It tinged the black with a dark blue, steadily letting a shy orange slip through dense clouds.
Mei had taken them back to her apartment building, but took the stairs past her floor. She led them down the hallway and to a service door leading to the rooftop. It wasn't allowed, but Mei said she convinced the landlord to give her a spare key for the night - who could resist. Lloyd had felt odd doing something that wasn't allowed, but he dismissed the feeling. You probably didn't find an adventure by doing what you always did.
The gravel-topped roof wasn't made for public display, so it didn't look appealing at all. They winded around pipes and chain link fences and at last they had found the place they were now sitting. A leap away from the edge of the building, looking over Lincoln Park and offering a view of the sunrise they wanted, blooming over Lake Michigan.
A cold wind touched their cheeks. Lloyd saw Emma's were red from the cool air. She smiled at him in the light of the kaleidoscope unfurling higher into the sky. Orange and the resisting blue intertwined with the heavy-moving clouds. Pink darted out from the place where the sun would inevitably rise.
"I'm leaving today," said Emma softly.
"Don't think about that," said Mei as she gave her a sideways hug.
"Yeah, you're still here, now," said Todd.
"Breathe the moment," said Lloyd.
"Okay."
An aeroplane tore at the lightening blue. It left a far off trail of persistent sound, softly disappearing as the aircraft passed overhead. They witnessed the first peek of our star.
No one said anything. No one took out their phone. No one did any of the stupid things humans did to let the beauty of a moment falter.
The sun rose.
Slow and sure.
Lloyd imagined all the people he could and what they would be doing right now. To them, this moment he had, didn't even exist. This sunrise might not even have happened in their world. He was silent. He was thoughtful.
The sun was high enough out of the water to explode a golden colour over Chicago. Every second in the light got more comfortable with warmth. And then it was day. And Lloyd felt as if he woke up in a different life.
"Being alive is beautiful," said Lloyd
YOU ARE READING
Emma
Short StoryEmma wanted to leave a mark and have an adventure when she visited her friend in the city, but after a month of working late hours on her project, her chance was slipping away.
