Waveborn | The Oceane Series

Two

The faucet let out a loud squeak as I turned the shower on. Within seconds, it sprung to life, water pouring out of the shower head, filling the bathroom with steam. Peeling my bathing suit off, I dropped it, letting it fall to the ground with a wet flop before stepping into the tub. I pulled the shower curtain closed and turned toward the water, walking under the waterfall, feeling the sand and salt leave my body, spiraling down the drain.

With a sigh, I felt my muscles relax and I closed my eyes in contentment. As the minutes ticked by, I stood under the water for longer than I probably should have before I made a move to grab my shampoo. Pouring a generous amount into my palm, I kneaded the substance into my natural ginger hair, which was seemed to be darker in the water. Scrubbing until suds covered my hands and arms, I washed the soap away, hoping that I could get all the sand out, although I knew some grains would still stick to my scalp no matter how many times I washed my hair.

After my shower, I grabbed the large blue towel from its hook and wrapped it around myself, my hair falling in curly ringlets past my shoulders. Padding into my room, I hoped I wouldn't slip and fall, then realized that was probably the least of my problems because I had forgotten to close the curtains before taking my shower. Closing my bedroom door behind me, I sighed, padding over to the large window overlooking the sea, and pulled the curtains closed, accidentally letting the towel fall to the floor.

"Really?" I exclaimed to no one in particular before reluctantly picking up the towel and drying my body before wrapping my hair up in it. Walking over to my dresser, I pulled out my comfy set of silk cami pajamas and slipped them on.

The sun was beginning to set by the time I walked into the kitchen to make myself some dinner. The pink and purple hues lit up the sky and reflected across the water as the sun escaped behind the horizon. Smiling to myself, I made myself a quick sandwich, then headed out to the back porch where a lawn chair sat waiting. Easing down into the chair, I stared at the sunset, watching the colors dance across the waves in perfect harmony.

I had a week off before I started my new job at the Marine Life Institute in Myrtle Beach, and I was determined to make tomorrow a worthwhile and fun experience. I would visit every store, learn to surf, maybe even catch my first wave, but I knew I wanted tomorrow to be the most memorable start to my new life. I hoped the weather would stay like today's beautiful eighty degrees.

As I ate, I listened to the calming sound of the waves, relishing the peace I felt in that moment. I enjoyed having the ocean so close to my home. In minutes, I finished eating and walked back inside to wash my plate. After setting it on the drying rack, I walked throughout my house to shut off all the lights, taking my time and admiring my new space. By the time I crawled into bed, I was exhausted. I felt my body relax once more, my eyelids growing heavy as the calming pull of sleep overtook me and I fell into a dreamless sleep.

***

I awoke to the soft sea breeze blowing through my open window, the curtains blowing in the wind while the room filled with the smell of salt and sea. I blinked twice, trying to ease my grogginess as the sun shone through the windows and across my face. Yawning, I sat up in bed, letting the covers fall into a heap on my lap. I crawled out of bed and padded over to the window, opening up the curtains fully so that I could have a better view of the outside world. The sky was as blue as could be, and the water was just as gorgeous. A chime from the bedside table took my attention from the sight of the sea and over to my phone. Grabbing the device off my bedside table, I turned it on, slid my finger across the screen to turn it off, and smiled, knowing that today was going to be a perfect day.