The Color Of Life

The color of life is rich, dark, and beautiful, covering every centimeter of one’s existence without the deep realization that it is even there in the first place - it covers the ground where man has not marred it with their cruel creations, it dances behind eyelids when one is exposed to too much light.  And for me?  It sits in the head of my most beloved, life most jovial, accompanied by a smile so bright, so rare that one could go a thousand lifetimes and never get to see the beauty that I am lucky enough to awaken beside every single day of my life.

I have come to anticipate it with the same joy that one may have while awaiting welcome news, dreaming of the moment that she lets out a long breath, that her eyes open and give me a needed reminder of the trees, grass, and swamps.  She takes her time each morning though, curling into me more and stretching around before ever even thinking of letting me sit under her gaze, causing a delicious sort of tension that I dare not ever try to recreate without her there, for it would be a loss - she is the key to it all, and today is no different.

"Tara." I whisper, keeping my voice sweet and gentle as I kissed her temple, brushing her soft, golden hair behind her ear as she stirred ever so slightly, my breath catching in my throat.  "Tara, honey... It's time to wake up."  She furrowed her brows at my voice, letting out that telltale breath before she stretched and brought her hands down, looping around the back of my neck.  Instead of looking upon me, allowing the emerald of her eyes to dance in the dusted sunbeam that fell across our bed, she curled herself further against me, her face in the crook of my neck.

I wrapped an arm around her back, pulling her closer on instinct as I breathed in the sweet, soft floral of her perfume - a scent that I had come to associate with home ever since the very first night that we laid like this, ten years prior in the quiet of my childhood home, not even daring to breathe in case anyone chose to alert my parents to the apparent intruder that I had welcomed in my arms... Those were darker times, times when her gaze truly was my only light, but once we were free of them, the world had become brighter too.

She had become brighter.

"It's too early, wake me again in an hour." Her voice was rough and sweet with sleep, sending a shiver down my spine as I sighed, letting my head hang back against my pillow.  She may have been tired, but I had been awake and admiring her since daybreak, and I could hardly stand to spend another hour waiting for her to do the same to me... Perhaps it was selfish, but my desire to spend time with her, to be conscious in her gaze was enough to drive my next action, one that she would surely see as a betrayal.

I pulled our comforter away from both of us, leaving only the thin, green satin sheet between her and the coldness of our room.  She gasped, her nails in the skin of my neck as she lifted her head in a startled response, her eyes trained on me as I let out a quiet breath of relief.

There was betrayal there, not deep or true but she was an open book to me... But most importantly, there was the light of the color of life, of the trees we had planted outside our home, ones that I had picked out in correlation to how the leaves matched her gaze, and I felt content under her eyes.

"That was evil, Olivia." The gruffness of her morning voice was gone, replaced with her normal melodic speech as if the cold had shocked it right out of her.  Rehearsing my apology would've been wise... But all I could do was smile and pull her down against me so I could press kisses to her cheek, still warmed by sleep and my own skin.

My affection could be the apology, could it not?

She didn't complain and made no move to push away from me, for I would have released her if she had - no, instead she pulled me closer, a sigh of joy leaving her lips.

"I know, my love... But I couldn't stand to not see you staring down at me for even another moment, I'm sure you understand my need." I murmured, keeping my voice soft and gentle as I traced my fingers up and down her spine, hearing her giggle before her soft lips were pressing a kiss to my clavicle, a move that I was familiar with but one that made my heart start no less than it had the very first time she'd ever risked it.

"You are so lucky you're cute, do you know that?" She asked, and I nodded.  I was very lucky, but not because I was cute - I was lucky that I got to love her, the girl who had the earth, trees, and grass dancing behind her eyes.

My breath of fresh air.

"I have been told so once or twice, yes." I felt her push up then, and resisted the urge to hold her against me - I was the one to wake her, yes, but that was not at all because I wanted our quiet, sweet morning to be interrupted.  I just wanted to be in her line of vision, to be added to the life that she held so easily in her gaze.  "Where are you going?" I asked, sitting up as I held the sheet to my chest, shivering against the cold of the room now that she had left my arms.  She pulled an old shirt of mine over her head, grinning as she turned back to me.  She looked magnificent, making the old piece of fabric look like the richest of robes before she bent down, gathering our comforter in her hands.

"Coffee." I got up to join her and was instead met with the heavy thud of fabric against me, and the feeling of her hands tucking me underneath the heavy blanket once again.  I looked up, my breath escaping me as I was met with the brilliant sage of her eyes, her face hanging just out of my reach.  She scooted closer and brought a hand up, cupping my cheek before she let her eyelids hood over her eyes slightly.  My eyes closed on instinct, the warmth of her lips being the only sensation that I needed before she pulled away, the moment ending all too soon. "Don't move, I'll bring you a cup." She insisted, and I let her slide off me and slink out the door as I fell back against the bed, my smile undeniable, my heart full of love for the girl who held the world behind her eyes.