Hello,
This is Stephanie Hudson.
Welcome to my first of many romantic sleep stories recorded just for you.
This sleep story will guide you into a night of calm and restful sleep,
Where you can relax using my voice to guide you.
Come with me and meet Rebecca,
Who is walking through the quiet,
Peaceful streets.
We are in Scotland.
It is very cold here,
But Rebecca is snuggled up in a warm,
Fluffy coat with a thick fur collar.
As she walks,
She looks through the old window panes of the traditional shops.
She sees the candles flicker inside.
It makes her feel warm and cozy.
She feels at peace and is happy to be here on her own,
Drinking in the cool winter air,
Excited at the prospect ahead.
But before we begin,
Let's take a moment to find comfort and peace where we are now.
As you close your eyes,
Close your eyes.
Relax into the support beneath you.
Feel the warm covers protecting your body and know that you are safe.
Take a deep,
Full breath in through your nose and let it out on a long sigh.
That's it.
It is time to relax and fully let go.
Sink deeper still as the soft billow cradles your head.
It's been a long day and now it is time to relax.
Here and now there is time to care for yourself.
There's no rush,
No expectation,
Just the need to be kind to yourself.
As you listen to this calm sleep story,
And we're back with Rebecca,
She's walking towards the train station.
She's about to embark on a fresh voyage and she's excited to see what will happen.
She steps into the train and finds a comfortable window seat.
Her warm breath casts a foggy circle on the cold train window as she looks out to see people bustling here and there with their luggage,
Kissing their loved ones goodbye,
Or welcoming people back into their heart again.
It is quiet on the train and she can feel the warm seat beneath her and she settles in for the long journey ahead.
As the train embarks,
She looks out to the landscape of towering mountains and tall pine trees.
It is beautiful here,
But there is yet more excitement to come.
The clouds are dark and heavy above,
Hanging low so that each street lamp beams like a beacon of hope in the night.
There is snow on the way.
It is getting colder now,
But she is so comfortable in the warm train as it trundles along the long track.
Rebecca closes her eyes as the train dashes through the night.
The first flakes of soft,
Powdery snow begin to settle on the mountains beyond.
This is peace.
This is beauty.
Rebecca thinks back to how she lay in her bed and listened to her father outside,
Scraping the snow off his car and making a passage down the driveway.
She remembers the warm,
Cozy blankets that used to cover her childhood bed and the smell of hot chocolate and marshmallows roasting on the fire.
She remembers how she would crawl out of her bed with a blanket over her shoulders and look out of her window where the moon beamed down upon the snowy mountains in the distance.
How happy she was then.
She loved the snow.
It made the world soft and peaceful and brought hope and desire for what was to come.
The train trundled on and on in a steady,
Rhythmic lullaby,
Urging her to fall asleep.
She was travelling deeper and deeper into the depths of the Scottish countryside.
Then,
Gently breaking the silence,
The train door slid open,
Smooth on its runners.
She opened her eyes just enough to see a strong hand pushing the door aside.
She was tired,
But this was something new.
Someone new.
And instantly,
She was awake again.
She looked away.
She didn't look up.
She could see by the frame of the man who had stepped into her carriage that he was strong,
That he was tall,
His skin was dark and his hands perfectly manicured.
He settled down to the chair opposite and looked out of the window.
As the train trundled on,
He was looking away.
She might just snatch a glance.
If she was careful,
Dare she.
She turned her head slightly and her long,
Auburn hair fell loose around her shoulders.
She brushed a wisp of her fringe back.
Self-consciously,
He was lost in his thoughts and she was grateful for that.
Yes,
She was right.
He was tall,
With a very strong frame,
With thick,
Heavy shoulders and dark hair.
His hands were large,
Resting softly upon his thighs.
Her eyelids dropped once more.
She didn't look.
It wasn't her place to look.
It must seem as though she didn't know he was there at all.
She took a deep breath in through her nose and as she sighed,
She turned back to the landscape rolling past her.
This was just another train ride and he was just another man.
Then,
Bustling through the door,
Came somebody new.
Anybody for tea?
The old lady said as she straightened her thick apron and tucked one of her curls behind her ear.
Rebecca was thirsty,
But she was shy and uncomfortable with speaking out,
Especially as it was just her and the strange man.
He would hear everything she said.
She looked down into her gloved hands.
She began to pull them off,
One finger at a time.
Her thickly painted nail varnish shone in the dim light of the carriage.
Perhaps I could just.
.
.
She said to herself,
But then she looked away again.
He was looking.
It was all too much.
Cup of tea,
Dearie?
The old lady said again,
But Rebecca just shook her wavy hair.
She listened to the clink of the cup on its saucer.
She was aware the stranger was quenching his thirst and she wished she could do the same.
Then,
To her embarrassment,
The old lady said,
You look all done in,
Dearie.
Come on,
Have a cup of tea on me.
And reaching out to Rebecca,
A teacup clenched in her heavy hand.
The old lady smiled and Rebecca,
Embarrassed,
Looked down into the cup she had been handed.
Thank you so much,
She said as she looked away again.
You're welcome,
My dear,
Said the old lady,
And she trundled through the carriage,
Leaving Rebecca and the strange man behind.
Rebecca placed her lips to the cup.
It was warm and comforting,
And she sighed with relief.
She was on the journey to a new place.
Life had been hard recently in the small town where she lived.
She loved it,
But it was so hard to find work.
So she had decided to take a trip and adventure to somewhere new with a promise of a new life.
The old town would still be very much in her heart,
But she must make the best of what she had as the train carried on along the track,
Which cut a path through the frosty countryside.
The old lady returned and collected the cups.
Rebecca looked up and to her surprise,
She caught sight of the stranger's face.
It had been a long time since she had seen him,
And he had changed so much.
But she knew these eyes.
She had seen them before.
There was no mistaking the person who was at the center of the community that she had just left behind.
She had thought that he had left for good,
And now here he was on the same train,
Going in the same direction.
She could hardly believe it.
Why had he returned,
And why was he leaving again?
It was Jake,
The boy she used to sledge down the local hills with when the snow lay thick and fast.
The boy she used to tease,
For his two front teeth took so long to come in.
The boy she always beat at rounders and laughed at for being a little slower than her.
But the man in front of her now was no longer a boy.
He had grown into something far beyond anything she could possibly have imagined he would be.
Where had he been all this time?
Did he recognize her?
No,
She still had the same auburn hair,
But her features had become softer,
Her eyes more sweet,
And her manner more gentle.
With the years she had spent looking after the local children and volunteering at the town church,
Surely he wouldn't remember her.
All the times she had teased him and laughed,
She had done it with good humor,
But he didn't know that.
And to her surprise,
One day,
He stopped talking to her completely.
That was many years ago.
She had long since forgotten about it,
But catching the expression on his face brought her right back to the journey to and from school they would share.
Rebecca began to feel nervous.
She felt a warmth in her palms and tension in her chest.
Her heart was beating faster.
Why?
Then,
To her complete shock,
The handsome stranger,
Who was now no longer a stranger,
Spoke.
Rebecca,
What should she do?
He had recognized her.
Should she pretend she didn't know who he was?
He had,
After all,
Been the one to ignore her all those years ago.
Perhaps she should just close her eyes,
And it would all go away.
But something inside told her to turn and face what she had long since forgotten.
The boy she had teased so ruthlessly,
Who was now a tall,
Handsome man.
Her heart began to beat faster.
Her palms began to sweat.
She must do something.
Yes,
She said,
Looking up into his amber eyes.
You remember me,
Don't you?
Born from an American mother and a Scottish father.
He sounded not like anybody else she had ever known.
Yes,
It was him.
Only this time,
She looked at him through different eyes.
I do.
It's nice to see you,
She said delicately,
Not really knowing whether she should feel ashamed.
She had,
After all,
Laughed and mocked him for years.
They were but children,
Though,
Their eyes locked,
And suddenly,
There was nobody else in the world but them.
And they were back to all those years before,
When he had last looked at her.
Only these weren't eyes that were hurting.
The light danced in his eyes,
Catching a sense of good humour.
He was no longer angry with her.
He seemed to find the whole thing very amusing.
Now,
He was in the driving seat,
And she was the one feeling embarrassed.
I do remember you.
There was nothing more she could think of to say.
She looked back into her palms.
Why am I being such a fool?
She said to herself,
But she was overcome.
An embarrassment for what she had said when they were children.
It's good to see you,
He said to Rebecca,
And she couldn't help herself.
As excitement rushed into her chest,
You too,
She said.
Where could they go from here?
She was speechless.
She had nothing to say.
No words would come out.
What was she to do?
She was going to make a fool of herself,
And all would be lost.
All these years.
There was something missing,
And she did not quite know what.
But now it was here again.
The missing piece of the puzzle must say something.
She said to herself,
Anything,
Where are you going?
It was a stupid question.
The train was only traveling one way,
And there was only one stop at the end of the journey.
They were traveling together,
To the same place.
And to her utter embarrassment,
He let out a heavy laugh.
How the tables are turned,
He said.
This situation was ridiculous.
Why was she making such a fool of herself?
And why was he reveling in her discomfort?
Of course,
She said,
Straightening up her back.
She must pull herself together.
What was I thinking?
I'm sorry,
I'm a little tired.
She glanced at him once more,
And his warm eyes were smiling.
He was thinking only kind thoughts.
As she was ashamed to admit,
He always did.
It was her who had been cruel.
It was her who had teased him,
And now,
He was teasing her back.
She felt ashamed,
Ashamed of the person she was,
And embarrassed that he didn't know the person she had become.
He had left with his family all those years ago.
So why had he come back?
The silence was awkward,
But she could say nothing.
So she looked out of the window,
And watched the countryside roll by,
And he did the same.
