the Wedding (2003) by Sparks Nicholas

Author:Sparks, Nicholas [Nicholas, Sparks,]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2010-12-19T00:40:22.250000+00:00

Chapter Ten On Tuesday morning, I woke before dawn and slid out of bed, doing my best not to wake Jane. After dressing, I slipped through the front door. The sky was black; even the birds hadn't begun to stir, but the temperature was mild, and the asphalt was slick from a shower that had passed through the night before. Already I could feel the first hint of the day's coming humidity, and I was glad to be out early.

I settled into an easy pace at first, then gradually quickened my stride as my body began to warm up. Over the past year, I'd come to enjoy these walks more than I thought I would. Originally, I figured that once I'd lost the weight that I wanted, I'd cut back, but instead I added a bit of distance to my walks and made a point of noting the times of both my departure and my return.

I had come to crave the quiet of the mornings. There were few cars out at this hour, and my senses seemed heightened. I could hear my breath, feel the pressure as my feet moved over the asphalt, watch the dawn as it unfolded-at first a faint light on the horizon, an orange glow over the treetops, then the steady displacement of black by gray. Even on dreary mornings, I found myself looking forward to my walks and wondering why I'd never exercised like this before.

My walk usually took forty-five minutes, and toward the end, I slowed my pace to catch my breath. There was a thin sheen of sweat on my forehead, but it felt good. Noticing the kitchen light at my house was already on, I turned into our driveway with an eager smile.

As soon as I pushed through the front door, I caught the aroma of bacon wafting from the kitchen, a scent that reminded me of our earlier life. When there were children in the house, Jane usually prepared a family breakfast, but our differing schedules in recent years had brought them to an end. It was yet another change that had somehow overtaken our relationship.

Jane poked her head around the corner as I padded through the living room. She was already dressed and wearing an apron.

"How'd your walk go?" she asked.

"I felt pretty good," I said, "for an old guy, that is." I joined her in the kitchen. "You're up early."

"I heard you leave the bedroom," she said, "and since I knew there was no way I'd fall asleep again, I decided to get up. Want a cup of coffee?"

"I think I need some water first," I said. "What's for breakfast?"

"Bacon and eggs," she said, reaching for a glass. "I hope you're hungry. Even though we ate so late last night, I was still hungry when I got up." She filled the glass from the tap and handed it to me. "Must be nerves," she said with a grin.

As I took the glass, I felt her fingers brush mine. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but her gaze seemed to linger on me a little longer than usual.

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