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Oliver walks quickly down the street, but when he suddenly stops and looks around, I wonder what he’s doing. He pulls on my ha
nd again and we cross the street, “Where are we going? And come to think of it, how did you know I was in the church?”
He flashes me a smile, “When you walked out of the room, I paused for all of two minutes, if that, before I went after you. I just happened to get to the front of the hotel in time to see you get into a taxi. I may or may not have bribed the bellhop in order to find out where you were headed. Then when I arrived, I peeked in the church, saw you sitting there and decided to wait on the steps for you.”
That’s one of the many things I love about Oliver, he didn’t bust in and interrupt, or demand we talk and there’s no indication that he intends to continue our fight. In fact, he hasn’t even inquired why the church or what transpired, but respects my right to privacy. He’s always been good about knowing when he’s made his point and when I need time and space and giving it to me. “Note to self, bellhops can’t be trusted.”
Oliver chuckles, “Well, I have a feeling you’ll forgive him shortly. Let’s go through here.”
We walk in between a seafood restaurant and a beauty spa. Inside the spa we can see women getting manicures and pedicures. Oliver keeps walking and when we are behind the buildings, I realize the buildings were beachfront. Some of them open to the large sandy beach but most do not. The sound of gulls and waves capture my attention while the sea breeze lifts my thoughts. Each and every time I see the ocean it takes my breath away – I think it would always be this way.
Ahead of us are high sand dunes interspersed between rock cliffs. Oliver locates a path that leads between the sand dunes and down to the shore. Many steps later, we walk down the beach. “Just a little further, I think,” Oliver mumbles.
We don’t walk too much further before Oliver tugs my hand and we move toward an alcove of sorts. When we get inside what feels like our own little cocoon, I marvel at the fact that we are completely alone. The beach is completely deserted which somehow seems strange. “Wow.”
“He told me it was amazing.”
“Who told you?”
“The bellhop. He told me about this place. I may have told him I had some groveling to do and he confided to me that this would be the place to do so and obtain some privacy. He said that only locals know about this place and that during the day it would likely be deserted because people would be working.”
“Maybe I’m not so mad at him now for giving up my location,” I tease.
“I figured…I mean was hopeful…you would think so,” he smiles.
Oliver pulls the backpack straps down his shoulders, allows it to fall into his hand as he unzips it. From inside he pulls out a large yellow beach blanket. Then he reaches back inside and pulls out two oranges both of which he hands to me.
“Hungry?”
“Yes, thank you. Where did you get the blanket?”
“Did you see the small souvenir shop a little ways from the church?” I shake my head. “While I waited for you I quickly ran in and out of there and fortunately they had one.”
“Great idea.” Doing the best I can with one hand while the other holds our oranges, I help him spread it out. Once it’s on the ground, he sits down and then invites me to sit beside him by patting the area next to him. Not needing to be asked twice, I sit and hand him one of the oranges. We both peel and eat the oranges; a relaxed silence between us while we enjoy the sweet tanginess on our lips and the sun on our skin. “I could stay here forever.”
He nods, “Me too. You know, if I could figure out how to bottle up the feeling the ocean brings me, make it portable for people to bring with them wherever they go, I’d be a rich man.”
“No doubt about it, but that would definitely take the fun out of coming here, wouldn’t it?”
“True,” he smiles at me and then takes the orange peels from my hands and his and places them inside a plastic bag before putting it inside his backpack. He asks somewhat gingerly if I received what I was seeking when I went to the church and I tell him about some of my conversation with the priest. After that, he’s very quiet - his brow is furrowed and his eyes stay on the ocean. I struggle with letting him deal with his own thoughts or inquiring if something is bothering him, but before I can decide he breaks his silence, “I’d like to get some things off of my chest.”
“Alright,” I smile reassuringly while inside feeling my stomach immediately tighten into huge knots.
“I want to talk to you about this for a few reasons, but the main one is because I want you to understand where I’m coming from when I don’t handle your potential choice of not seeking treatment very well.” He takes a deep breath and then emits a genuine smile, “I still remember exactly how you looked the first time I saw you. Did I ever tell you that?” I shake my head no, “It’s true,” he insists. “Pink dress, a crown on your head, curls in your hair,” he touches the much shorter hair I now have. “I remember punching Brad in the stomach when he made fun of me in the seventh grade for being best friends with a girl. I told him you weren’t just a girl, you were my girl and he better shut his mouth.”
“You never told me that.”
He shrugs, “I remember all kinds of moments between us when we were kids, when we were teenagers and of course as adults. There’s one that stands out in particular.” He turns toward me fully now, his eyes on mine, “It’s funny because it’s just a simple moment – there’s nothing remarkable about the day or time. I had pulled into my driveway moments before you walked out your front door. You were wearing short shorts and a white tank top. Your feet were bare and your hair was in one of those bun things on the top of your head, but it was shining in the light from the sun. You know what you were doing?” I shake my head, but realize he’s not really asking me. “You were walking to your mailbox to get the mail. When you closed it, you headed back toward your front door, but before you reached it you looked over at my house. Then you looked at my car and saw me there. You waved and smiled and I was completely spellbound by you because the sun was in a perfect position in the sky such that it was at your back and it made you look like you were glowing. It was like God himself was smacking me in the face. I remember thinking that the glow around you matched the vibrant realization I had in my mind at the time. A realization that scared me and excited me at the same time.”
“What realization?”
“A realization so intense that I lost my breath with the thought and my heart started beating double time. I got out of the car and returned your wave and I was sure you could see.”
“See what?” I ask not remembering the moment he’s talking about.
“See that I had been metaphorically punched in the gut. I had to lean against my car to steady myself because I had just realized how absolutely and totally in love with you I was.”
My mouth drops open in surprise and I shake my head, “What? No you weren’t.”
