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They’ve been married for nearly seventy years, unbelievably.
They give me hope that true love exists.
“Is it sunset already?” I ask.
Tiny nods and then cocks her head at me. “Are you all right, dear?”
I smile at them and nod my head. No way am I going to burden them with the thoughts rolling around in my head.
“Can I ask you a question?”
They nod. “Anything, dear,” Tiny says.
I ask, “How long did you two know each other before you knew it was meant to be?”
Tony and Tiny look at each other and smile. Tony goes first, “She and I were best friends for years before I had the nerve to ask her out. When I did, to my surprise, she said no. It crushed me.”
Tiny nods and gives a slight pout of regret. “And then one day I woke up and realized, there’s nobody else for me. He’s my person. If I don’t fall in love with him, then what else is there? Nobody in this world speaks my language the way Tony does. And that’s when I knew.”
I nod and smile, holding back the lump in my throat.
“Thank you,” I say, a bit raspier than I would like.
As I always do, I fire up their favorite song, get them secured in their compartment, and watch them ascend into the sky, holding hands and laughing together.
The sunset is so pretty tonight, and although I have played this song hundreds of times, it hits me like a truck.
I am deadass in love with Hudson.
The tears of anxiety at how he might react to this are like a floodgate has opened. And pretty soon, I’m sobbing.
What am I going to do with myself?
I have to tell him. I have to risk losing him to tell him there’s no one else for me.
When their ride ends, Tony lovingly helps his little Tiny out of the compartment. It grips my heart the way he’s so sweet with her that my tears well up again.
“Sweetie, what in the world?” Tiny asks, handing me a tissue.
Tony places a hand on my shoulder and says, “Tell him. Right away. And don’t worry. He already knows.”
All I can do is blubber and keep the snot and tears from ruining my makeup.
Chapter 4
Hudson
Usually, when I’m done with work, the first thing I do is head over to the Reef Beach Bar on Sugar Road to say hey to bartender Lincoln Locke and the owner Daphne Dawes. Even though I don’t touch alcohol, I like to stop by for whatever creative virgin fizzy drink Daphne dreams up for me. After that, I typically stop by the Ferris wheel for a chat with Frenchie, head back to the boat I call home at the marina, kick up my feet, and watch the game.
Today, however, all I want to do is tell Adalee the
news.
This afternoon, Captain Jack approached me about a summer job chartering his fishing boat in the Florida Keys. I can’t believe my luck!
“I know you’re a hard worker, and you deserve to have a change of scenery. What do you say?”
I tell Captain Jack that I’ll think about it and let him know in a couple of days. Even though Gavin is a new hire, he’s proven himself reliable. He has earned the respect of everyone else who docks their vessels at Kissme Bay. I’m confident he would jump at the chance to run the place for the summer.
