Wide awake

3. Colourless

Addy

My mother sat behind the piano, eyes closed, her body moving slightly to the tune she was playing while she hummed.

"How are you doing that?" I asked her, in complete awe.

She opens her eyes, looking over to me. I walk over to her, sitting next to her. " It's easy when something has your heart, the rest just .." she explains before she starts pressing the keys again,"falls into place." She finishes, smiling at me.

"Stop." My father instructs and I remove my hands from the keys. I was hoping he had not noticed the slip up.

"See this is why you need to keep up with your practice, how else will you be able to perform?" He asks.

"I know dad." I say quietly,," I will put in more practice, I promise."

"I know you will. This extra curricular..it's an edge you know. An icing on top of the cake that is your brilliance and excellence. I don't want to be those dads that only focus on your career path, I want to be there for it all. Dad of the year here." He says proudly.

"Thank you dad, for your support." I say with a smile.

"Oh, I have to go. I think I will be pulling an all nighter."

"I am going over to Sadie's."

"Sadie? The Greenes' daughter, still friends huh?" He says, putting on his jacket.

"Am not one to butt in but...I think the only people who are permanent are family. Friends..some of them don't do you any good in the long run," He says," anyways, see you tomorrow and I.."

"Will be hearing a better performance." I finish the sentence. He smiles, kissing my forehead before he leaves.

I look over at the giant portrait of my father above the fireplace. Neal Channing, owner of Channing's Maple, 'basically the heartbeat of Maple Hollows ' he says. He stands proud, head held high, not a hair out of place, blue eyes staring dead ahead, pressed Italian suit.

After getting ready I stand in front of my full length mirror. Statistics show that most firstborn daughters look like their dads yet there wasn't a modicum of Mr. Channing anywhere in me. Not in my looks and certainly not in my character. I can only dream of ever being so self sure.

My dad is a dark blue. Let me explain, I like to observe people, their mannerisms them in general and think of them as a colour that describes them. He is mostly serious, steady and elegant. Dark blue.

There's a honk outside, pulling my attention back to reality. I already know whose car it is.I put a final pin to keep my hair in the bun. A simple blue sleeveless mini dress and white heels suffice my look. I pick my jacket and my purse and head downstairs. Olly is standing against his car, his eyes glued to his phone.

He looks up at me, pausing for a minute, his mouth slightly parting.

"How is it that I already know you're gorgeous, but I still get stunned every time?" He asks as I approach.

He is dressed simply in a black polo shirt and cream slacks. He rans his blue eyes up and down my body before he extends his arms out to me. I hug him back, taking in his signature cologne. He brings his hands to cup my face when I pull away before he leans in, taking my lips in a kiss.

"And how do you pull of the simplest of looks?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"Great genetics babe, great genetics, I'd hurry and put a ring on it." He answers, giving me a wink.

Oliver is a gold. When I think gold I think, rich, magestic, royalty. I think that's Olly and Olly knows it too. He doesn't shy away from letting people know that he is 'God's gift to mankind'.