I could tell it was early morning the moment I opened my eyes, for the light was shining through the blinds and making the body beside me scintillate with the sun. I reached under my pillow, and pulled out my phone; which had woken me and not the slumbering beauty that slept soundly on the other side of the bed. I turned over and propped my head up on my hand, my elbow resting on the pillow. I smiled at her as I swept back a lock of her hair to behind her ear and I forced myself to get out of bed. I crept to the door and in doing so I glanced back to check the slumber of my love, and reassured by the sight that she was indeed still asleep, snuck downstairs.

Standing by the kitchen window, listening to the faint hum of the toaster and the steadying growl of the kettle, I watched the breeze sway the plum tree in the garden. I started humming ‘Happy Birthday’ as I walked steadily into the next room; seeing the table filled with scattered cards from last nights games, I started to collect them, waltzing around and trying not to bump into the walls. Hearing the toast snap up, I walked back into the kitchen, placing the now full and closed box of cards onto the counter. I buttered the toast quickly, so as to give the butter chance to melt into it. I danced around the kitchen aimlessly whilst waiting for the timer to go off for the tea, and with my arms risen holding an invisible partner; I closed my eyes as I remember one particular dance seven years ago, one I would never forget. Snapping out of my daydream to quickly switch off the timer, I leaned over on one leg and poured the tea, putting the teapot down with one hand and grabbing both butter and jam with the other. Returning back to two feet, I skipped a little towards the fridge. Pushing the door shut, I stopped for a moment to collect my thoughts and wonder I was supposed to do next.

I recalled writing a list the previous evening after my love had gone to bed already, and working out precisely in which order I needed to do things in. Timing was essential, for if her alarm had gone off before I arrived upstairs in the bedroom, the plan would all go to waste. Everything had to be perfect for my angels birthday. I opened one of the drawers and got out my notebook, the one which had been written and planned in the previous night. I looked at the clock quickly, before consulting my list. “Put everything on tray at 10:28, walk up stairs at 10:29, open door at 10:30 as alarm goes off” I always wondered where my obsession with time came from, but this was not important, for I was in danger of missing the alarm.
I collected everything together onto a tray, and carried it all swiftly upstairs, careful not to drop or spill anything. Making my way through the hall, I glanced at the clock. 10:29 it read; perfect timing. I smiled to myself at the thought, and took the last minute of my time to walk up the stairs, push open the door with my back and look back into the bedroom. It was empty. I couldn’t believe my bad luck; she’d woken before her alarm and gone to get ready early, instead of being asleep when I awoke her with breakfast in bed on her birthday. I groaned slightly and put the tray down on the table, walking out through the curtain and onto the balcony, resting my arms on the railings to stare out at the garden.

I jumped as a pair of arms encircled my waist and brought me strong against another body. This body was seemingly clad in only evidence of her shower; I still faced out towards the grounds and I smiled slightly. “What’re you groaning at, eh?” the voice asked, as a thin finger poked me in the side and I giggled, trying to reply, but a hand covered my mouth shortly before I could open it; “no, I don’t want to hear it, it’s my birthday and I say that if you can’t say anything nice, you shouldn’t say anything at all, if you’re going to be mean to me I’ll just have to stop you from talking”.

I smiled against her fingers and spun around in her arms, dislodging her hands from my mouth and moving mine to the small of her back “and just how do you think you’ll manage that?” I asked. It was then that I noticed that I’d also dislodged her towel and she was still holding me just as close as before. I gaped at her, heart beating faster than I ever thought possible and at a loss for words. She grinned at me and murmured softly, “well that seems to have worked, I think I remember seeing toast and tea back there, care to join me?” she raised her eyebrow and smiled at me, unlocked her arms from around my back and turned, walking nonchalantly back into the room. I stood at the balcony for a few moments letting my heartbeat recover for a few seconds, picked up her towel, and walked back inside.