It had been one of those days.
The kind where nothing seemed to go right \u2014 work had been stressful, I\u2019d barely eaten lunch, and by the time my husband suggested going out for dinner, I was already drained. Still, I agreed. A warm meal and some time together sounded like exactly what I needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dinner was lovely. We laughed, shared dessert, and lingered a little longer than usual. But as fate would have it, the moment we got back on the highway, we hit a wall of brake lights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At first, I didn\u2019t think much of it. A traffic jam on a weekday evening wasn\u2019t unusual. But as the minutes ticked by and the cars inched forward slower than a snail, my mood sank even lower. I leaned my head against the window, closed my eyes, and let exhaustion take over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next thing I knew, my husband was opening his door and stepping out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I rubbed my eyes, confused. The light streaming into the car was soft and golden. I sat up straighter. Wait\u2026 is that the sunrise?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n My first thought was absurd: Had we been stuck in traffic all night?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But as my eyes adjusted, I noticed something strange. The familiar stretch of highway was gone. In its place was a quiet little street lined with trees. Our car was parked in front of a small brick caf\u00e9 with white shutters and hanging flower baskets swaying gently in the breeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My husband leaned in through the open door and smiled.The Sweet Surprise<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou were sleeping so soundly, I didn\u2019t want to wake you,\u201d he said. \u201cWe got out of the traffic hours ago. I just\u2026 kept driving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n