A perfect day (Excerpt)

This is only an excerpt from the first chapter.

I woke up.

I woke up on the morning of another perfect day. Fully rested and perfectly awake with my wife right beside me, still sleeping. It was her day off, so I let her rest, turned off the alarm, and went to the restroom. I went through my usual routine, showering and brushing my teeth but, instead of taking the normal minute to examine my look for the day, I found myself stuck at the mirror for just a moment longer. I felt a small need to look at my face, make sure those green eyes of mine belong in that youthful face. Make sure the brunet and gold locks were right on my head. Of course, they did, it was my face after all. It just felt like a long time since I'd seen it, oddly.

After, I went downstairs, made breakfast for me, my wife, and my daughter. Pancakes, simplicity itself. The soft sweet smell must have woken my family, because they came down right as I had finished cooking.

“good morning.” I greeted the both of them.

“How did you guys sleep?”

My daughter simply yawned, eyes still half full of sleep, and sat in her chair at the table. It was kind of cute, but everything that eight year old ball of sunshine did was. My wife took a few steps to me, stopping at my side and kissing me on the cheek.

“Best rest in forever.” She told me, slipping away.

“What about you?”

I smiled at her and set her plate in front of her.

“Pretty good.” I said.

“But any day I wake up beside you is great.”

I kept smiling at her and she smiled right back, looking at me just like she did in high school. I looked at her the same. It was hard not to. All the beauty still so clear in her.

I only looked away when my daughter tugged at my shirt. I looked to see her pointing at her plate, which was still up in my hand.

“Ha, I didn't forget about you, Alicia.” I told her, setting it in front of her.

“Eat up.”

I grabbed and set my plate down at the table, sat, and began to eat. I glanced, briefly, at the clock. It was seven and work started soon, but I didn't feel to awfully rushed. It was too perfect to feel rushed, in that moment. Besides, I could tell that today was going to go well, regardless.

Eventually, breakfast was over, and I had to be off to my store.

“Have a good day at work, Tom.” My wife told me, giving me a peck on the lips.

“Love you.”

“I love you too, Alex.” I gave back, smiling.

Alicia tugged at my shirt and knelled down to her level.

“And you too.” I told her, planting a kiss on her forehead.

“I'll be back soon.”

She slipped a small, gold-ish, coin into my jacket pocket then gave me a hug without saying anything. I hugged her back then was on my way.

The day just felt good, lucky. Like things would go my way. As I walked to work, that feeling was confirmed. A little cloud seemed to follow me and blocked the hot summer sun, keeping me firmly in shade, everyone in the city smiled at me, and I even found a hundred dollar bill folded up perfectly under a face-up penny.

At the store, too, it was the definition of perfect. I made a profit, no customers complained, and my employes got me a “best boss in the world” mug. It was really kinda sweet.

I decided to close shop myself, that day. It wasn't particularly hard, I mean, no one mixed up the books today.

I was almost finished putting everything in its place when a man in a black suit and tie walked in to the store. He was tall, maybe in his early thirties, wore those round sunglasses, and had bleached hair.

“Hello.” I went to greet him.

“I'm sorry, but the store's clo-”

“That's quite alright.” He said, cutting me off in a oddly golden voice.

“I'm not here to buy anything.”

“Oh?” I questioned, and he nodded.

“I'm simply here to check up on you.” He told me.

“A request from my employer.”

“And who's th-”

“An anonymous someone.”

I, for some reason, didn't feel a need to question him further on that, or rather, I didn't feel like I should feel like it.

It was quiet, but a moment before, before the man spoke up again.

“Know he is important in your... life.” He added.

“I've a few questioned I've been given to ask you.”

“I... ok...” I submitted.

“Are you... happy, with your life?” He began.

I nodded.

“Anything at all troubling you?” He continued.

I shook my head.

“Nothing at all you would change? about your life that is.” He pressed.

I shook my head once more.

“Good.” He said, turning away to leave.

“Everything is in order then.”

He Started heading out, stopping just before the door. He turned to me.

“Have a divine evening, Mr. Thirst.” He said.

“That's not my name.” I noted.

“My apologies, Mr. Stone.” He corrected.

“The names get mixed up sometimes.”

And, he turned to leave again.

“Wait.” I stopped him.

“Who are you?”

“My name? I'm Michael. Michael Black.” He revealed.

With that, he gave an angelic smile and left.

I did feel quite odd after that event, but I didn't let it interfere with my perfect day. I hurried up and finished cleaning the store then went to lock up shop. At the door, I noticed a business card on the ground. It was nearly all white, with only the name of that odd man and a number. I tucked it away in my jacket pocket. That's when I noticed the coin my daughter gave me was gone. I figured I must have lost it somewhere in the store, but couldn't figure out where. It was the oddest thing, so I just left.

Odder still, I found it on the stairs when I got home.