The sweet smell of flowers and fresh air wakes me from a refreshing, deep sleep. I stretch, waking up with an exhausting yawn while twisting and turning in the soft, pastel sheets that cover the large bed I'm in. Morning sunlight pours through the curtained doorway and illuminated the open, familiar room. I feel rested. I feel good.
I get out of bed slowly and reach for a long, blue overcoat to slip over my white, satin nightdress. I wrap it around my thin body and walk out onto the terrace, my bare feet feeling the chill of the morning dew puddles that are forming on the concrete. Soon, the warm sun will make these miniature pools disappear.
Standing on the balcony, overlooking the lake, I open my arms and feel the breeze blow gently through my long, curly mass of hair. I feel the cool mist of the lake brushing on the damp ground. For once in what feels like an eternity, I feel at peace. I'm woken up to this beautiful paradise and cannot take a minute of it for granted after the life of terror that's now behind me.
"You're awake." I hear his deep, soothing voice sigh from behind.
In the doorway, I see him standing, looking at me as though he's been waiting years for me wake up and be with him. His long hair hags to his shoulders and he looks more handsome than ever. He appears slightly aged, but I can tell that however long it's been, the years have treated him well. He still has the vigor of the headstrong Jedi Apprentice I fell in love with. He stands in casual, flowing pants with a transparent, loose shirt on. The majority of his chest is exposed, but the morning breeze is warm enough for him to be comfortable.
I turn to him and the minute our eyes meet, we smile so broadly at each other, I'm sure it makes his cheeks hurt just as much as mine. But I cannot stop smiling. It's a good kind of hurt.
"Morning," I reply softly though my smile, slowly walking over to him.
His bare feet playfully kick the water in the puddles as he watches me gently approach him, getting closer and closer to a long-awaited embrace.
The warmth of the sun stretches onto the entire terrace, illuminating the gardens. It gives life to the colorful flowers and greens that occupy all the space in the numerous planters.
When I look around I notice all the beautiful things I know and love about the Naboo Lake Retreat. The sky is clearer than I've ever seen it. And the lush mountains in the distance reflect beautifully in the clear, blue lake.
I take both of his hands in mine and bring my face close to his. Our lips are just a few, playful inches apart. I can't remember the last time I felt this happy—this safe.
Looking into his eyes, I cannot seem to think straight. My mind begins to process ten thousand things at once, and my heart flutters uncontrollably. But I feel so good inside.
Anakin wraps his arms around my thin waist and pulls me closer into him until my tiny, soft hands are pressed against his firm chest. It's so good being here with him. It's so good to finally have the peace and happiness I knew we were destined to find on Naboo.
I hear faint giggles from excited children growing louder and louder in the back of my ear. My heart skips a beat out of pure happiness. A sense of pure bliss and relief rings trough every fiber of my body.
"Looks like everyone's awake." Anakin says to me and turns, looking back into the bedroom.
Two young children, no taller than Master Yoda, clumsily come running out from the bedroom and onto the garden terrace, into the morning sunlight.
If it's possible, they're even more beautiful than I'd pictured them being during my pregnancy.
The boy has Anakin's sandy-colored hair. It hangs messily, but in the cutest possible way. His little arms flail about while his tiny legs try to run as fast as he's trying to make them. He has such life and excitement in his eyes. He's so innocent, so happy to be running around and playing this early in the day.
Chasing after him, the twin girl giggles twice as loud, though her face suggests she's trying twice as hard to keep up. Her long, dark hair hangs to her shoulders. Though the color matches mine perfectly, it'll be quite some time before its length is the same. Her determination is remarkable for being so young and naïve, and it shines in her eyes along with a reflection of the Naboo sun.
The two children pick flowers and throw them joyfully in the air above their heads, giggling even more as the petals rain down in their shiny, soft hair.
"Luke," Anakin laughs, watching our son trying to mimic his father's Jedi abilities by imitating Force-pushing petals at his sister. It'll only be a matter of time until they actually can develop any sort of Force abilities.
In retaliation, our smart daughter collects the petals from her brother until there are too many for her tiny arms to hold and she throws them back at him. A wave of leaves and petals shower over him, leaving him both confused and defeated. Maybe he is the naïve one.
"That's my girl, Leia." Anakin praises his daughter's young wit proudly.
I feel Anakin behind me. He wraps his arms around me and we look at our young, beautiful children with such happiness. Tears fill my eyes, but I welcome them and wouldn't dare to wipe them away.
We're a family.
We're finally a family.
Anakin and I walk over to our children, who are still playing in the piles of leaves and flowers in the garden.
I look out over the lake and watch the rippling water. I hear the singing birds whistling songs to each other. And I can smell the fresh air as it blows gently across my face and through my hair.
It's all exactly as I pictured it would be.
Anakin and I look into each other's eyes. Our children come close to us and try to join our embrace by hugging onto our legs.
Finally, our lips meet. The kiss is so perfect, so full of life and happiness, the entire scene seems to illuminate.
The sun, the water, the gardens, and the palace all burst into a mess of white light and suddenly I can't see anything but an artificial light. The beeping of monitors fills my ears and through my tear-filled eyes, I see Obi-Wan hovering over me.
Where am I?