The sun began to rise, bringing with it a cold and chilling wind. I sat huddled against the whipping breeze, pulling my coat closer around my body. The soft downy feathers felt comfortable against my cheek. The coat was very large, reaching to my ankles. It was old and worn but it still held fast. The threads were starting to fray in the very slightest but I couldn’t give it up. I sat on a patch of grass on the edge of what appeared to be a cliff. I wasn’t entirely sure how’d I’d come to be here or where exactly ‘here’ was. But the view was nice so I don’t suppose it matters much. I breathed out a breath I’d unknowingly been holding in.

I closed my eyes to take in the nature around me. Birds were starting to awaken in the distance. The sweet smell of fresh morning dew tickled my nostrils as I took everything in. The sunrise was so peaceful and I was so very comfortable in my coat. The memory of when I even received my coat was nothing but a faded, discolored photograph in a decade’s old photo album. Yet that didn’t bother me in the least. Opening my eyes again, I watched as the pink overtook the dark navy of the sky. A smile spread across my face as I watched the meshing and melding of beauty in the heavens. I suddenly felt as if I was not alone. I turned my head to the left and sitting there beside me was a man. His skin was olive-brown and his hair was dark brown and fell to his shoulders. He had a beard that was neatly trimmed into a goatee type style. He seemed to be enjoying the sunrise just as I was.

“It’s amazing isn’t it?” he asked, his voice a baritone in nature.

“Yes it is,” I agreed.

“Do you come here often?” I asked, looking at him again.

“Every morning. How about you?” he responded, catching my gaze and smiling at me.

“Just today,” I murmured.

It was then that I noticed his apparel. He was wearing blue jeans and a cut off t-shirt with blue and white sneakers. I saw his bare arms and shivered even under the warmth of my coat. We sat in companionable silence for some time, both enjoying the beginning of a brand new day. He somehow moved closer to me and was examining my coat.

“Aren’t you hot in that?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Not at all I’m nice and comfortable,” I answered, growing defensive.

“Here, let me take it for you. You don’t need it,” He said, reaching his hand out.

“Are you kidding? It’s freezing out. I can’t take it off,” I protested.

“But it’s so old and it’s growing worn and frayed,” he countered.

“It’s fine. I’m not taking it off,” I answered sharply.

Who was he to tell me what do with my possessions. This coat was my past and my present and if I had my way, my future as well. It was like a precious family heirloom. You did not just give it up.

“Why do you cling to it so strongly. Doesn’t it weigh you down?” he persisted.

“Well...only a little,” I answered meekly.

“Why not get a new one. Let me take this one for you and hold on to it. I’ll keep it safe,” he responded.

I thought about it for a moment. What he was saying was starting to make sense. The fact that he would hold on to it for me was comforting. That I could always o back for it if I wanted it. With that, I nodded and we both stood.

“Alright,” I answered and turned to face him.

He gave me a genuine smile and began to pull the coat from my body. He started with the shoulders and worked his way until the coat had left me completely. I stared down at myself, finding myself to be entirely naked and exposed. I felt extremely vulnerable in front of this man. I stood, shivering, watching as he folded up the coat into an insanely small size and shoved it into his pants pocket. My arms were wrapped about my chest, and my feet shifted from one to the other to try and keep me warm in the bitter morning wind. He reached out his hand and touched my shoulder. Immediately, I felt a great warmth spread from within me, the very core of my being. I suddenly felt fabric beneath my fingertips. I was wearing jeans and a pale blue fleece sweater. I was as warm as I’d been in the coat but without the weighed down feeling.

“Thank you,” I said, embracing the man.

“You are welcome,” he whispered.

We looked up and saw that the sun had fully risen from its slumber and we walked through the thick trees behind us. I found I was not on a cliff but a enclosed pasture in a forest.

We met everyday at sunrise and watched the beauty of day begin. We would walk together whenever I felt lonely and lost. We grew to be inseparable in all situations. I never once took that coat back. I’m not even sure what he did with it. But it never crossed my mind. All I had to do was allow him to say “Let me help you and give you peace”