I WAS MINDLESSLY TAPPING MY foot and singing along to the music on my phone when it stopped playing mid-song. My phone vibrated and, naturally, I looked in the direction of the counter where my phone was sitting. There was a notification informing me I had a new text message and I tilted my head to the side. Who would be sending me a text message at this hour? My mother always called and my brother never liked the idea of text messaging. I did not have anyone to text. I picked up my phone and stared at the screen. I did not recognize the number, which bothered me.

The music had started back playing and I tugged my bottom lip between my teeth. I was curious to see who had sent me a text message but I was also nervous. My heartbeat quickened and I pulled the towel tighter around me with my free hand. I had just gotten out of the shower and I barely had time to dry off before my phone vibrated. Water droplets landed on my shoulders from my wet hair and I did not bother to pin my hair up. My main focus was on this text message. I unlocked my phone and took a deep breath before pressing my index finger against the notification. I leaned against the bathroom counter and gnawed on my bottom lip as I read the message.

From: Unknown

You work Monday through Friday from ten to four. Don't be late.

Did Harry send me this? I looked at the time and it was a little after ten. Why did he wait until now to send me it? I could have been asleep. If I was asleep, I would not have seen this until morning. Was that what he wanted? I turned my phone screen off and sat it back on the counter before turning to look at myself in the steamy mirror. I was told the time and what days I was supposed to work but I was never told what to wear. Was I allowed to wear whatever I felt like wearing? I rolled my eyes and shook my head slightly. Harry could have included that in the text message.

I pinned my damp hair up on top of my head and I quickly dried off, throwing on some jogging pants and a tee. I gathered my dirty clothes and tossed them into my dirty clothes bin. The house was silent and I did not mind snuggling up on the sofa to watch some TV. Unfortunately, it would be a couple of days before the cable guy would come and I was just too lazy to hook up my DVD player to watch one of my movies. I stared at all of the boxes in the living room and exhaled slowly. I unpacked a few boxes after I got home but I still had more to unpack. I brought everything I owned with me and if I kept procrastinating, it would remain in the boxes for weeks if not months.

I ran a tired hand down my face and put my hands on my hips. There was too much to do and there were not enough hours in the day. Most of my clothes were already unpacked and I supposed that was a good thing. I flipped the light switch nearest to me and the living room lit up like a bright summer day. I went for the first box I laid my eyes on and began to take the tape off of it. Inside of the box were extra sheets and pillow cases along with my winter blanket. All of this belonged in the linen closet and I had no idea where it was.

The thick, winter blanket nearly blocked my view as I carried it around the house in search for the linen closet. I made sure not to bump into any walls and not to accidentally unfold the blanket while carrying it around. I hated refolding thick blankets; especially by myself. Folding a long, thick blanket was a two person job.

It did not take me long to find I what I was looking for. I carefully opened the door to the linen closet and took a look inside before putting the blanket in there. There were multiple shelves and I was entirely grateful. A smile formed on my lips as I placed the blanket on the first shelf and went back to gather my sheets and pillow cases. I managed to get another box emptied and this excited me. It thrilled me. Unpacking let me know this place was officially mine and I was not going anywhere anytime soon. The thought of me staying here for a while made me widen my smile until it hurt quite a bit. I liked the idea of calling this place mine and claiming Seattle as my home. I no longer minded that I did not experience the best move. I was too happy about unpacking my belongings. I was much more happier than I was when I had to pack everything up suddenly.

The pile of empty boxes was piling up and I was surprised at how much work I was actually getting done. I was now putting my photos on the breakfast bar in the kitchen. On my way home, I had stopped by the store and picked up a new frame for the photo whose frame was broken earlier today by one of the movers. I took the plastic wrapping off of the frame and opened it from the back, slowly putting the photo in place. I sat the frame up by the others and smiled slightly at all of the photos. Even though my family was not here with me physically, I would always see their faces when I came into the kitchen. Their faces would always be fresh in my mind. They were my family and I would never forget them.

I was more than excited when I pulled my coffee maker out of its box. I immediately took it into the kitchen and ran my fingers along it. In the morning, I knew I was going to need this to keep me going. My mugs were already unpacked and so was the little bit of food I had decided to bring with me and not throw away. I had sugar and creamer for the coffee. I was set for in the morning. My microwave was difficult to get onto the counter but I managed. It took me a couple of tries to get the heavy machine off of the floor but my arms finally gave in and lifted the damn thing up. I was not the strongest person in the neighborhood—hell, I was probably the weakest person in the world—but I never thought it really mattered. Everyone was weak somewhere, whether it was emotionally or physically.

I soon enough found myself laying down underneath my blanket in bed. I kept the bathroom light on because I refused to lay in complete darkness. I was paranoid and being in the dark only made me think of things that were not actually there. My phone was my only company and when I turned it on, it went right back to the text message from Harry. I stared at the words he sent me and rolled over onto my side.

Earlier, I had been expecting a text message or a call before I left the store. I was still curious as to why he waited so late to send me this. Perhaps he was busy after locking up and forgot about it until the last minute? I had forgotten to tell people things plenty of times and I ended up telling them at the last minute. I understood the situation completely. I sighed and set my alarm for eight o'clock in the morning. I needed to be at work at ten but I needed time to get ready and to eat something. I did not want to rush on my first day. Working at an herb shop was not much to most people, but it was a lot to me. For someone who had just moved to a new city, I was starting off on the right foot.

Once my alarm was set, I placed my phone underneath my pillow and closed my eyes. It had taken me a while to get most of what I had left unpacked. There were still some boxes left but I would be home tomorrow before dark. I could get them unpacked then. I pulled my knees up to my chest and took one more deep breath before trying to drift off into a deep sleep for the night.

  • • •

"You know, I think I'd like to sail the seven seas with you, Gwen Walker."

I watched him walk across the part of the beach where the sand met the ocean. His icy, blue eyes were fixed on his feet, one constantly moving in front of the other. I stood a few feet away from him, burying my own feet into the heated sand. The beach was nearly deserted except for a few people, excluding us.

"The seven seas, huh?"

"Yeah, all seven of them. The Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico, of course. I think I got them right," he nodded and looked my way, flashing me one of his million dollar smiles. "I'd buy a boat just for the two of us. We'd pack our bags and just go. Who knows what we might see out in the sea?"

He chuckled softly and kicked at the ocean. The water was barely up to his ankles and he had the bottom of his jeans rolled up slightly. It was not our plan to come to the beach. We just...showed up out of the blue. That was what we did. We never made plans. We simply went along with what was happening. We went along with the show.

"How big would this boat be?"

"Oh, it'd be huge!" he threw his arms into the air, emphasizing how large it would be. "Not huge like a cruise ship, but huge enough for just us and our things. We'd have a map—"

"Since when do you know how to read a map?"

He looked at me, "Hush, beautiful. This is our future we're talking about. It's pretty important stuff, you see."

"If we're just going to be in a boat for the rest of our lives, I'd say our future is going to be pretty depressing."

When he rolled his eyes playfully, I could not help but laugh. He could always make me laugh. It never mattered what he did. If he stared at me, I would laugh. If he was telling the most boring story on the planet, I still managed to laugh. It was just in his personality. He was born to make others laugh. I was one of those people he made laugh and I was so happy to be a part of it. This man made me smile and laugh more than my own family could and I loved him for it.

"If you keep talking like that, I might not let you get in my boat."

"I thought it was going to be our boat?"

"Nope," he shook his head. "I changed my mind. You're too salty."

"You're making a lot of references to the sea today."

"Hmm...do you have a problem with it?"

"Not yet."

"I love you."

That usually made me shut up and smile like an idiot. I remembered the first time he told me those three words that changed the course of our relationship. I remembered the wave of different emotions I had felt on that particular day and I did not think I would ever forget it. He was the sweetest and I could not imagine my life without him. He was just too special to me and I could not let him go even if I tried.

"I love you, too."

  • • •

I woke up with a pang in my chest. I sat up and the sound of my alarm blared from underneath the bed. My phone had fallen off of the bed at some point during the night. I pulled back the blanket and got on all fours on the floor to retrieve my cellular device. I wrapped a hand around it and turned off the alarm. It was only three minutes after eight and I barely felt like doing anything. I just wanted to stay in bed all day and sleep. I could not call in sick on my first day, though. If I did that, they probably would not want me going in tomorrow...or any day.

I made up my bed and yawned silently as I walked into the kitchen to make myself some coffee. My eyes felt as if they were two thousand pounds each and I wondered if they were puffy at all. I got the coffee started and I dug through my cabinets until I could remember where I put my mugs. I grabbed one at random and sat it on the counter, going ahead and putting the sugar and creamer inside of it. I leaned against the counter and listened to the sound of the coffee making. It was the only sound in the house besides my breathing and it was a peaceful sound.

While the coffee was making, I decided to go ahead and get ready for work. I wandered back into my room and went into the small closet. I thought back to what Harry was wearing when I went to the herb shop. He was wearing a black top and his work apron stood out on top of it. I assumed I would be getting an apron today. I went through my belongings until I found a simple, black tee and some jeans. I changed out of my pajamas and got dressed. White socks covered my feet as I walked into my bathroom.

"Great," I muttered at the sight of my hair.

It looked like a bird's nest on top of my head and the sight was not pretty. I somehow managed to get my hair band out of the nest and I attempted to brush everything back into place. When the nest refused to cooperate, I just pinned it up as best as I could. I brushed my teeth and washed my face before applying a single coat of mascara to my eyelashes. I stared at myself in the mirror for a couple of minutes before sighing. I looked a hot mess. I shrugged my shoulders in defeat and walked back into the room to put on my sneakers. Once they were on, I was ready for some coffee. I went ahead and brought my purse out of the room and I sat it on the breakfast bar next to my photos.

I filled the mug up with coffee and stirred it slowly, watching the dark liquid become a medium shade of brown. Smoke rose from the hot liquid and I blew it, trying to cool it off a bit. I bought some muffins from the store yesterday and they sat on the counter beside the fridge. I opened the container that held them and pulled one out. Crumbs immediately fell onto the counter and I frowned as I sat the muffin down to clean up the small mess. I moved the crumbs to the trash can and moved my muffin and coffee to the kitchen table. I sat down and stared down at my breakfast.

How was today going to go? I was nervous and I was not even in the car, yet. What was I supposed to do? I was not assigned a specific job yesterday and I knew I could not just walk in and get started right away. I had no idea how things worked in the herb shop or any herb shop, for that matter. I did not want to go in there and mess everything up. This was my first job in Seattle and I wanted to keep it for a while. Working at an herb shop sounded easy but in a new town with people I did not know, I had to expect the unexpected. I had to believe this job was going to be hard so I would work harder at keeping it. I refused to lose this job. My house and future depended on it.

I finished eating and drinking my coffee in silence and made sure everything was straightened up. I had thirty minutes before I had to be at work and I decided to leave a little early. What if there was morning traffic? I was sure others were out trying to get to work right now. I could not be late on my first day. They would never want me back. I threw my purse over my shoulder and held my keys in my left hand as I looked around the house once more. Everything was still in place and I was satisfied with how everything looked. I stepped out of the house and took in a deep breath of the fresh air. As I exhaled, I noticed the sound of someone cutting their lawn. I looked to my left to see my neighbor cutting his grass. He looked much older than I was...maybe twice my age. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to push the lawnmower across his lawn. Sweat covered his forehead and his shirt was stained with it. I wondered how long he had been out here.

After locking the door, I stepped down from the porch and walked to my car. I plopped onto my seat and turned my key into the ignition, listening for the sound of the engine coming to life. My car rumbled and I backed out of the driveway. The man stopped what he was doing and when he laid eyes on my car, he waved. I waved back with a smile on my face. His smile widened and his cheeks were rosy from the heat.

Perhaps this was the start to a beautiful day.