The Girl Who Carried the Sun

Eight

Eight
☢☢☢

Lily took her time trying to memorize the beloved look of the little cabin. The sky overhead appeared to darken faster as she stood staring. When Daniel opened the front door and lit the lamps installed on each side of the main door and on the balconies above, Lily squealed in excitement. She was in love with the house. She skipped up the pretty porch and gave a spin on her tiptoes, presenting a theatrical dance.

"I can't wait to decorate!"

"You could start tomorrow. It's too late today. You must be exhausted. We'll set up the flowers too tomorrow."

"Yeah. I need a bath first."

She followed Daniel inside who showed her the living room that had a fireplace, a single couch, and a coffee table for now. He led her to the kitchen that had just enough items for a single male living a single life. Good that he already had a refrigerator and he stocked it with drinks he bought along the way. He also opened the cabinets overhead and stacked up biscuits and chocolates and dry cakes and chips and all the things he would never eat. They were for her.

He closed the cabinet and then opened it and transferred all the contents down to the counter cabinets.

"You might not reach them," he said.

"I think I can reach them," pondered Lily as she went to stand next to him and reached for the cabinets.

She tiptoed and her fingertips barely touched the holders. Daniel chuckled and hugged her to his side.

Planting a kiss on top of her head, he told her, "You're still a kid."

"I'm not."

He showed her his room downstairs and then led her upstairs to her room, which had a balcony. Both rooms upstairs had a balcony each, and none of the rooms in the house were too big or too small. They were just enough and all nearly empty. Hers was the best so far. She had a queen-sized bed with plush pillows and velvety covers that angels seemed to roll and swish-swoosh into all night, a soft rug lay at the foot of her bed, a lamp on her nightstand, and pretty silver drapes fell over the door that led to the balcony.

"Lemme know if you need anything else," he said behind her.

She turned at him and smiled, "This is a deluxe room. Thank you. I love your house. This is perfect."

Rising to her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him tightly. The image of that fragile, little hut she'd first seen in place of this cabin years ago hadn't left her memory yet and she couldn't be prouder of Daniel now. She remembered his humble beginning, without his parents and technically all alone . . . he's come so far. There was so much that she was feeling for him deep down, but she didn't know exactly how to put them into words so she held him even tighter.

"What's wrong, Lily?" he asked her as he enclosed his arms around her back.

"I'm so happy for you," she told him with a sweet smile on her sweet face, and she turned a glided out to the balcony.

Daniel followed suit. Lily shoved the drapes aside, pushed open the door, and sauntered out to the breeze, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath of the fresh, country air. Enraptured by the pleasant atmosphere of the hills, Lily threw her arms open and twirled once as the wind brushed through her hair, kissing her neck. She and her dramatics. Daniel laughed behind her. With a long, contented sigh, she wrapped her fingers around the wood railing and she leaned forward, peering down at the greenery below. Daniel joins her at her side.

"Oh, the lily is still there!" she pointed to the Giant Himalayan lily blooming at the border of the house.

"Yes. I'm thinking I could try planting some more of it around the house. I'm sure they'd grow."