John Galpin

A Perfect Day

The alarm blares at 7:30am like it did every morning. Cole reaches over slowly and turns off his phone alarm. He stares at the ceiling fan and tracks it with his eyes. Round and round all the time. Normally he would be up and about already. This morning, he is tired and takes a moment to contemplate. Sitting up at the edge of the bed, he gazes over at the velvet box sitting on his dresser. With a sigh, he stands up and crosses the room to the bathroom. For cosmetic purposes he swishes his mouthwash and brushes his teeth. He even flossed this time. He turns on the shower and waits until it's warm. Stepping into the shower, he lets it run lightly down his chest. The water pressure isn’t that great, he can’t help but feel slightly annoyed he never did anything about it. Cole's mind begins to wander, he cries a little in the shower but no one can see or hear him. Quickly centering himself, he takes a deep breath and steps out of the shower. He draws some warm water from the sink and pulls out a new razor. He begins to slowly lather his face with shaving cream. As he shaves, he is extra careful not to knick himself. Afterward, he splashes his face with cold water. He finishes up in the bathroom and heads over to his closet. He puts on his favorite pair of jeans and red polo. He sits down at the end of his bed and slips on his brown leather dress shoes. Tying them firmly so they won’t come undone. Turning his attention back to the thin velvet box in front of him. He slips it into his back pocket for the last time.