His wife could be so beautiful when she was happy. Her golden hair, almost fluid in the breeze, and her eyes so sky blue and vibrant with vitality. Someone once told her she could speak volumes with them, and it was true. They were windows to her soul. Nick stopped marveling at her face and looked at the empty street before them. Everything was perfect.

Holding Sharon’s hand as they meandered down the street, Nick glanced around. The street had no lamp posts casting any light on the dark night, yet he could still manage to see to the beach house where he and Sharon were staying. There were many buildings made up of stores, hair salons, and bars that were all within inches of each other, if not downright connected.

“We should have brought Lola,” Sharon said.

“Nah, you know she doesn’t like airplanes.”

“Well we could’ve taken a train.” Beautiful and stubborn -eternal even, she was all Nick’s forever, and ever, and ever.

Nick absentmindedly stroked her hand with his thumb. “Don’t worry about Lola, my mother’s babysitting her for us.”

“Your mother hates dogs!”

To this Nick replied with a kiss and Sharon’s protest died on her lips. He reached up and buried his hand in that marvelous golden hair of hers. As their lips broke contact, he brought his mouth to her ear.

“Do you want to go back to the beach house?” he whispered.

Sharon’s eyes twinkled and seemed to relish the thought as she lead him away from the street.






#


Dew still lingered on the grass just outside the beach house, Dunes Chalet. Nick’s favorite part of the house was in the living room, there were large windows designed to form a triangle. They took up the whole wall but beyond them was an azure ocean, Boomerang Beach.

Drawn to these windows, he thought he saw a likeness with the mosaic windows at the church where he and Sharon were wed. She wore a traditional white dress with a silver tiara. He remembered when he lifted the veil to kiss her and take her as his wife, his heart almost stopped he was so nervous.

Sharon wrapped her arms around him from behind, startling him out of his thoughts. “Why don’t you come back to bed?” she asked, while running her fingers through her precious hair.

“Not just yet.” He smiled at her.

Sharon sighed at him melodramatically and walked into the kitchen.

Restless, Nick walked out of the living room and onto the empty beach. He walked aimlessly, staring into the endless blue. That was how Sharon’s love for him was- full of energy, full of color, and endless. He wondered if that was enough.

Sitting down at the water’s edge, Nick held his head in his hands. The ocean ebbed and flowed, each wave followed by another, always carrying that almost-pleasant salty smell of the sea.

He heard light footsteps behind him. “Sharon, do you ever get lonely?” he asked as he lifted his head.

She placed a soothing hand on his shoulder, “I don’t,” she murmured, “but I’ll make it all better.” Sharon sat down beside him and stroked his hair.

At her touch Nick found himself gazing sleepily at the ocean, even though he’d woken up only hours before. He was filled with such peace, with all his loneliness long forgotten and scattered to the winds. She made things less sharp and unfocused as though she were photo shopping his entire life with a faint blur.

“Everything is perfect,” she said.

Nick nodded. “Too perfect?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I know this is what we’ve always wanted. Here, we only have each other and it’s been nice, but how long can we stay?”

Sharon took a deep unsteady breath. “I can’t believe you’re saying this. You want to go back to the nothing we had before? Oh, and did you even think of Lola?” Her eyes searched his face.

“We had peace and the truest love of all, I miss it. And I’m sure Lola will be fine,” he said.

Neither said anything for a few minutes and they just watched the perpetual flow of the sea. Nick wondered what Sharon was thinking as his eyes watched the waves roll out.

“Okay,” she said.

“Okay?”

“We can go back, you’re right. We’ve spent too much time here.”

Nick sighed with audible relief and took Sharon in his arms. After he let go of her, he moved to stand up. He took several long strides to the water which grew calm in his wake. When the water was nearly up to his waist, Nick could feel celestial peace all around him. It rose from the surface almost as a steam that filled his lungs.

He looked back to Sharon, who was a few yards away. She stood with her arms out and her face turned up to the sky. The yellow sun caressed her and shone brightly on her hair. Nick could feel her presence deep within his soul when his transformation was complete.

He became the blue waves, blue because of the sky. He felt the gentle breeze and the steady flow of water all around him. Then he felt her too. She beamed down on him with adoration and he reflected it back to her. She sent an ethereal ray of light down that sang enchanted melodies to him while he sent the waves crashing towards the shore and made them whisper his love to her.

And as the sun disappeared like a candle behind the ocean later in the evening, Nick could have sworn he heard the happy sigh Sharon used to blow it out.