From Me to You [Complete]

49

In the morning, I wake up at a reasonable hour. It's not dark and raining outside, nor is there anyone else sleeping next to me, but the sun is shining brightly through the picture window, and I can see it's another warm day. There's a yummy, perfume scent pleasing me and I inhale it, unsure where it's coming from, when something tickles my nose. I lift a hand to my chest and hold up a small blue flower to my eyes to get a good look at it. I don't have even the slightest green thumb so I'm not sure what kind of flower this is, but it looks pretty and smells nice. I hold it in one hand, rubbing my thumb against the stem as I gaze up at the ceiling. I was dreaming about something calming.

I think I was in the Lyons' cottage, and Michael and I were doing the dishes –probably because of how many dishes we've actually done since my family got here on Monday. My brother kept showing up in random places, and my sister was really annoyed because he had taken one of her CDs. I laugh in remembrance. I suddenly remember André was there too, although he probably didn't look the way he does in real life, since it's been a long time since I've seen him in person. I think he was playing soccer with Jean but he was really famous and Jean wanted to make sure André got a lot of goals so that no one would make fun of him.

"Morning, Amanda," says Ann's voice brightly from above me, and I look up to see her leaning over the railing beside the stairs, staring down at me with a smile. Good thing no one stole one of her CDs in reality or she wouldn't be in such a good mood.

"Good morning," I say, trying not to grin. I stretch my arms above me and swing my feet out from under the covers to put them on the floor.

"You can use the room to change if you want," she says as she leaves the railing and heads to the backdoor. I think that must have been her way of thanking me for not making her sleep on the couch again. I can hear voices from the backdoor now that I am listening for it, and I look forward to breakfast.

I quickly gather up and fold the sheets that make up my sleeping quarters, but it takes longer than I want it to since I'm short and it's hard to fold things bigger than me –Alice was a big help two days ago. When I finally get them into a sort of square, I place them on the arm of the couch –I definitely have not acquired Andy's perfect folding skills. I find the catch of my necklace and thumb it back to its rightful place on the back of my neck.

"Well, well, look who's awake," says Robert's voice above me. He's taken Ann's place leaning over the railing watching me. At the sight of him I remember a piece of my dream and I grin. "What?" he says, a little startled.

"Oh, nothing," I say. "I just remembered something from my dream."

"Do I want to know?" he asks, with an eyebrow raised.

I laugh. "It's nothing bad really, you were just the true CD bandit, not Andy."

"Um, okay," he says, clearly a little confused.

I laugh. "Just make sure you let Ann keep her CDs to herself."

"Can do," he says, still a little unsure, and turns toward the fridge.

I pick up the flower again, smiling at it, then start up the stairs after him. "Don't they have enough food outside?" I tease as he opens the fridge.

"Milk," he says, holding up the bottle as he shuts the fridge door. "See you outside," he adds with a smile, as he heads outside. I smile after him.

I put the flower in a small glass on the counter, which I add some water to, then head down the hall to change –today it's a strapless orange top and a new pair of soccer shorts. I act quickly, eager to get some breakfast into my system. I even make an effort to apply a bit of cream to my shoulders, which are still a bit red. I head outside to see which cereal types are being offered for breakfast. I take a seat at the head of the table with Ann and Robert on either side, and unfortunately far away from Michael who is sitting with Alice and Andy at the other end of the table. No one seems particularly interested in Michael and me, so I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that no one knows about last night –except Andy of course. I watch him expertly pour another bowl of cereal, trying to figure out where his spy talents came from, but don't gain any information.

Shaking my head, I pour myself a bowl of Shreddies, and add some strawberries and milk. Ann still seems chipper, and is trying to talk Jean into wearing some kind of embroidered anklet that she made without success. Robert watches them with a grin, knowing the battle that Ann is facing up against.

"Careful," I warn him, and he looks at me in surprise. "If you seem too interested, she might make one for you." His eyes widen in mild alarm and he quickly goes back to his own bowl of Shreddies. I grin, enjoying the day so far.