It was not often Cosette awoke before Valjean. On this particular morning, the purple-y-orange morning sky was yet to turn light blue. A faint scent of burnt wax drifted through the air as the blonde blew out the candle on her wooden bedside table. With not a second to waste, she tip-toed into the hallway- careful not to wake her Papa, for she knew he would disapprove of her sneaking into the garden this early wearing only an ankle-length sheer nightgown. Every creak in the floorboard caused her heart to flutter, almost the exact way it did yesterday morning when she locked eyes with a student in the Luxembourg Gardens.
Cosette gently pushed open the heavy front door, closing it behind her as she stepped onto the damp patio steps. The warmth of July wrapped her petite frame in an invisible blanket, while she inhaled the earthy scent of freshly cut grass. "Magnifique!" she exclaimed, as her bright green eyes spotted the blooming rose bush in the corner of the garden. Her feet wandered towards the bush, stopping for a moment to pick up a basket from under a bench.
