To Color Your Life

Emily opened her eyes but didn't immediately get out of bed. Instead, she stayed in bed and kept looking at the sleeping Justin for some time. She usually had a sound sleep and woke up when a man kissed her and stroked her body. This awakening worked much better than any alarm clock.

But now she saw him sleeping for the first time. The girl tried not to move, afraid to frighten off his sensitive sleep, but Justin seemed to have fallen asleep so deeply that he probably would not feel anything even if she started molesting him.

She kissed him on the cheek, gently moved his hand, which was thrown on top of her, aside, and climbed out of bed.

The sun had just shown its first rays when she went out onto the balcony and looked at the sleeping city.

It felt strange. She was never an early riser; only coffee from her favorite cafe motivated her to get up early because until nine in the morning it was on sale with a fifty percent discount.

This was a great bonus to the great taste, and Emily used it as an incentive to start the day with a positive attitude.

She would take her coffee, sit down in her favorite place in front of the cafe window and just keep watching the passers-by. So it was easier for her to distract herself from thoughts of her own life, to switch to something new when she and Peter broke up.

Despite so much suffering that this man had caused her to go through, Emily was grateful to him. After all, he was by her side during the most difficult period of her life. Peter Miller turned out to be a great lesson that she hoped she learned the way she should.

She remembered the day when she received the news of the death of her parents. It was a planned trip. Parents were part of a famous symphony orchestra, they traveled a lot, and this case was no exception.

Their troupe was on tour in Turkey. Each performance was sold out, the audience did not let the musicians go, asking them to play their favorite tunes over and over again.

They drove at night. Two buses with musicians, musical instruments, and organizers. It was the last city on their tour to perform, then they would have hopped on a plane and headed home.

But this did not happen. Deteriorating weather conditions or a driver's fatal blunder were the reason for this, now it was no longer important. At some point, the driver lost control, and the bus in which Emily's parents were traveling fell into a ravine from a height of several tens of meters.

No one survived. Thirty talented classical music award winners and recognized professionals have died.

When her father's administrator called to break the news, Emily was out after class, spending her time with Peter. This was the second day of their "adult" relationship. The day before, their first kiss had happened in that dark audience. And that same night they...

Emily closed her eyes and exhaled.

Memories of the past, which used to deliver a suffocating pain, now reminded of themselves only with an unpleasant tingling sensation in the chest. It was still hard to breathe at such moments, but it was not so terrible as if you were falling apart in pieces.

And the truth is they say, time is the best medicine. Emily didn't have the scars on her body that Justin had. But her heart was as scarred as his skin.

But this goes away too. Scars, both visible and invisible, get healed in time. And you have no choice but to move forward. It is dishonest to stand still for those who can no longer take a step and see how beautiful the dawn can be.

"How beautiful…," the girl whispered, squinting against the bright sun, the rays of which were reflected from the windows of the buildings opposite.

She took the phone out of her sweater pocket and dialed the number. "Good morning, granny."

"Emily?! What happened?!" Mrs. Hayes's anxious voice answered her.

Well, she knew she would scare her.

"It's okay, granny. Sorry, it's so early. I really wanted to tell you how much I love you. You are the best in the world. And the most beautiful one."

"God, baby, you are my best. I love you very much too. And I'm proud of you."

Emily felt warmth envelop her body despite the cool air around her. What happiness it is when you have those, who you love and care about, around you.

The girl smiled. She was sure that her grandmother was smiling at this moment too.

"Grandma, do you think if I give up something important for the sake of something even more important, my parents will understand me?"

"Of course they will understand, dear. If that's what your heart desires sincerely, they'll be happy," Mrs. Hayes replied. "And I will be glad if I can help you."

Marian was a wise woman. And if her granddaughter for the first time in her life called her at six in the morning, it is hardly just to tell her about her feelings. 

"What do you want me to do?" the woman's voice sounded decisive and inspired.

Emily laughed, "Thank you, Granny. You're absolutely right. I really need your help. Please contact your lawyer. I will need to see him today."

...

Justin was surprised when he woke up and did not find Emily in bed. He put on the first thing that came to hand and went through the apartment in search of the girl.

"There you are!" the man was delighted when he found her on the balcony, standing by the railing.

"Oh, so you woke up already?" Emily turned her head and smiled. The boss's hair was disheveled, a pillow mark was imprinted on his cheek, and his boxers were worn inside out. Either he was in a great hurry when he was getting dressed, that he did not notice it, or he was still sleeping.

Justin walked over to the girl and hugged her tightly, "Hayes, this is the first and last time you'll run out of my bed before me, okay? Do you have any idea how I felt when I didn't see you by my side? Even if you have an urge to go to the toilet, wake me up so that I can accompany you."

"Pfft, are you serious? Justin Evans, isn't that too much?"

"When it comes to you, nothing is too much. I already lost TOO much time while deciding on the first step. So I'm sorry, my love, now I'm going to cling like a limpet to you!" Evans reached under the girl's jacket with his hands.

"Hey, your hands are cold!" Emily shivered.

"It's not my fault that it is bone-chilling cold outside."

"So go and get dressed!" the girl pushed the man towards the house. Justin was the kind of guy who chills very easily. And he went out into the open air practically in his birthday suit.

Evans kissed her on the cheek. "I urgently need hot coffee. Are you with me?"

"I will be back soon. Can you make me a couple of toasts?"

"With great pleasure," he turned Emily to him and covered her lips with his mouth, "Mmm, now I definitely woke up," the boss licked his upper lip with satisfaction when he almost completely deprived the girl of oxygen.

Emily accompanied Justin with a warm smile until he disappeared behind a glass door, wagging his booty in a luring manner, like a peacock's tail. Shameless. 

She took a sheet of paper from her pocket and unfolded it. Then reread the letter of resignation, which she took from work with her yesterday.

"Well Hayes, it's worth putting everything you have on the line."

Emily folded the sheet in half and tore it in the middle. Then again and again. Until there was a stack of small pieces of paper in her palms, similar to the petals of a white rose.

She walked to the edge of the balcony and waved her hands. Pieces of paper flew up and immediately were caught up in a gust of wind, which carried them further and higher.

The huge city lying at her feet was waking up and filling with sounds. She was standing over it and watching as life came into its own, driving away the darkness of the night.

Emily looked up at the sky, which was already glowing with blue colors. She imagined that somewhere up there, her parents were looking at her.

She did not lose them. They were there all this time, supporting her.

And now, in the most important period of her life, they were also there, helping her to take a step that will change her life forever.

"Thank you. I won't let you down, I promise," she whispered and blew a kiss into the sky.

A new day has begun.