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“Where is the groom? I haven’t seen him since we departed,” asked Aunt Tracy.
“He’s working,” I said. “He will join us soon.”
“Yeah, Tracy. Some people work for a living,” said Aunt Sue. “Are you going to work after this, Petra? Or do you plan on getting knocked up and living the good life?”
“Sue, you’re overstepping boundaries,” Mom said.
“It’s okay, Mom. I can answer. I plan on either continuing my studies or working on historical research. Whereas for kids, we’re not sure we want any,” I said, knowing fully well Gabriel cannot have children.
Mom and her sisters were too stunned to speak. “Honey, you don’t want to have kids?” Mom asked.
“It’s not like we don’t want to have kids. It’s more like it doesn’t suit our needs,” I said.
“We’re ready for landing,” the flight attendant said as she entered the cabin. “Please fasten your seatbelts.”
As the plane landed, the whole “are you having kids” ordeal was forgotten. We were welcomed with colorful cocktails and small desserts. The alcohol-infused fun had begun. Everyone spread like ants to their cabanas while I waited for Gabriel to get off the plane. Mei stayed with me for a bit, but then dehydration took over her, and she went to her cabana as well. When Gabriel finally emerged, he was clearly irritated with someone on the phone. Once he saw me, he cut the phone call short and walked toward me.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“The hardest part of my job is convincing people of the authenticity of the pieces. It can take weeks till I receive a confirmation of purchase,” Gabriel said as he wrapped an arm around me. “But enough about work. Let’s enjoy your island.”
“Don’t say that. Someone might hear you. My aunt is already searching for a billionaire for my cousin.”
“Did you tell her the only way to get yourself a rich noble is to pretend to be a princess in front of an entire voivodeship?”
“I didn’t go into so much detail, but I’ll make sure to tell her when I get the occasion.”
“What do you plan to do next?” asked Gabriel.
“My family said they want to go to the beach,” I said.
“The beach it is,” he said, but then his phone rang. “How about you go ahead, and I’ll join right after,” Gabriel said as he went inside the mini-airport while I headed to the cabana.
The cabana designated for Gabriel and me was the largest on the island. Inside, I was greeted with a warm fragrance of eucalyptus, citrus, and the ocean breeze. The wooden structure had massive windows with a view of the turquoise waterfront. Every room of the cabana had plentiful vegetation that contrasted with the white bedsheets and stained wood. I guess Gabriel didn’t have a hand in the décor of this interior. Otherwise, he would bring his preferred Gothic style even to a beachy environment. The quietude of the place attracted my ears to the rustling sound of the palm trees, which leaned back and forth, guided by the tropical wind interweaving with the soothing crash of the Atlantic Ocean waves.
Excited about the new experience, I quickly put on a bathing suit and headed to the beach.
I found my family already there, each with a different cocktail in hand that the attending servers continued to provide. My cousins parted into two groups. The older ones snorkeled. The younger ones built sandcastles. Mei joined forces with the little ones and would occasionally fetch water in their little red pails. For a moment, I was reminded of my experience of water-carrying, except it was in the fourteen hundreds, and they were wooden buckets. I sat on a lounger next to my Mom’s and exhaled a deep breath. After all the times I felt death was oh-so-near, I could finally enjoy myself. Maybe it was just a blip in time, but it was perfect.
“Are you feeling okay, Petra? You look a little pale,” Mom said.
“I might be a bit tired, but that is a good reason to be here,” I said and stretched on the beach lounger.
“You know constipation could do that to you as well. Have you tried including fiber in your diet? Too much meat consumption is…” Mom’s voice trailed off.
Then I heard gasps spread around me. At first, I thought it was a dolphin or a shark, but then I noticed my family looked in the opposite direction from the ocean. When I turned, I realized the object of their admiration was none other than Gabriel, wearing a black swimsuit. I mean, I knew the man was drop-dead gorgeous, but my family still had to discover all his qualities. Mom and her sisters followed Gabriel’s every move, unable to remove their gaze from him. And even their husbands tried to suck in their beer bellies and mimic Gabriel’s posture.
Oblivious to their ogling, Gabriel sat on my lounger and gave me a sweet kiss. The onlookers did not hesitate to continue watching the scene unfold.
“How about we go for a swim? The last time we did so, we had multiple pairs of eyes watching our every move,” said Gabriel.
“I’m not sure it’s any different now,” I said, “but sure, I’d love to take a dip in the ocean with you.”
We ran to the ocean, holding hands. He jumped first, then waited for me to get accustomed to the water. Afterward, we swam together as far as possible to gain some semblance of privacy.
Even at great depth, the water kept its transparent feature. I could see everything floating beneath us. And it was a mesmerizing view.
“If you wish, we could live on the island as long as you want. We might need to return to the castle a couple of times per year. But other than that, the world is our oyster,” Gabriel said.
