At Dawn: The Birth of a Romance

The birth of a romance is like the bursting of sunlight at dawn, or so it seemed to thirteen year old Clarissa, who was in love for the very first time. To her, the entire world suddenly seemed brighter, almost crystal-like in its clarity.

"Why have I not seen the world like this before?" she wondered. She jumped out of bed, quickly washed and dressed, and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. "I'm in love! I'm in love! I'm in love!"

No one else was up yet, but her mother could hear the dishes rattling and came out into the kitchen to see what was happening.

"Sorry I woke you up, Mom."

Something was definitely different with her daughter. She was never one to be the first out of bed, always dragged her feet when getting ready for school and almost never ate breakfast. An apology, too?

"What is going on?" she asked Clarissa, quietly, not wanting to awaken anyone else. "I am your mother. You know that you can tell me anything."

She waited.

"Is this about Todd?" she asked, remembering that she too, had a first love many years ago. The glow about her daughter could only be love, maybe puppy love.

"Yes," admitted Clarissa. "My whole world just got better," she said excitedly. "Mom, I think I am in love! Todd asked me to go to the prom with him and I said yes."

Clarissa's mother was surprised and happy for her daughter. She liked Todd, although to her, he seemed very immature for a fourteen year old boy.

"We will have to go shopping for a prom dress for you," she said, hugging her daughter.

"My social world is going to better now, too." said Clarissa, excitedly. "I can hardly wait to tell the other girls."

Little did she know that the love that she was experiencing with Todd was just puppy love, only for a time, and Todd would not be the only boy she would fall in love with; nor would she be the only girl that he would fall in love with. Alas, a new dawn does not last forever, only its memory and she was about to find out.