x
Seagulls cried in the distance as ocean waves crashed against the shore. The summer sun sinking below the horizon, painting the sky in orange and red hues. Yet, despite the ocean's beauty, the beach was bare this evening. Sand no longer decorated with thousands of footprints, but now only held a pair.
A middle-aged couple with their arms linked walked along the shore. The man held a small wicker basket with his free hand. They filled it with food fit for this summer evening, as the red checkered blanket peeked out of the basket, dancing in the breeze. The man's hair was receding as brown hair turned gray. He wore a light blue polo tucked into his beige shorts, but his feet were bare against the soft sand. Beside him was his wife, wearing a beautiful, flowing white dress. Her light brown wavy hair was speckled with gray, but her blue eyes still held their youthful charm.
The man's wife slipped her arm free and gave him a mischievous smile. Before he could say a word, she sprinted ahead of him, as if she were a young woman again. Her arms were outstretched, catching the ocean salt in the air. Her laugh filled with warmth as if it was their eternal love song, a tune he could never forget.
"You better slow down. I can't keep up!" the man cried.
His wife's reply was another laugh, but she slowed down for him. When he caught up to her, she took his hand. His wife gave him a smile before tugging him along the shore. There was no need to ask her where they were going. He knew the answer already. They had been to this spot every year for the past thirty-eight years. The couple came to a pair of tall brown rocks that towered over them. The man smiled as they stood next to the rocks.
"Isn't it funny? After all these years, we still come back to these rocks. Where we had our first date, and I fell in love with you."
His wife smiled as she sneaked her arm through his. She laid her head on his shoulder. Her warmth spoke to him more than words ever could.
"It was a summer evening like this one. Back in eighty-four, you made a picnic basket like this one. I brought along a portable radio and for whatever reason, I remember Total Eclipse of the Heart played that night. I know it wasn't a flashy date, and I didn't have a dollar to my name, but sitting here watching the sunset with you was one of the best nights I ever had." The man looked out towards the ocean.
"I will never forget the smile on your face when you dipped your feet into the water. It was like it filled the entire world with love. You showed me the world could still be beautiful, even when there are moments where it seems too mundane."
The man turned towards his wife, tears filling her eyes as she kissed him in the twilight. The pair set up their picnic with only ham and cheese sandwiches and potato salad their meal for this evening.
"You know, you made me love ham and cheese sandwiches." The man took a bite of his.
His wife rolled her eyes and gave him a sarcastic smile.
"It's true! I mean, I just never cared what I ate before. But now when I eat them, I only think of you." This earned him another kiss on the cheek as the tide crept in.
"You know what else we did on our first date?" The man set aside his sandwich and laid down on the blanket. "We stared up at the stars just like this. I never cared much for stars, just dots in the sky. But, to you they told a story. Like that red one, that's Mars, a god of war. There' Saturn, its rings made of cosmic stardust. And that? The brightest one of all? That's Venus, the goddess of love... you knew all of that kind of stuff. All the stuff that makes this world worth living."
His wife laid beside him and wrapped her arms around him. Her face snuggled against his chest, feeling his lungs fill with ocean air. His arm rested over her back as he continued to gaze up at the cosmos. As the sun sank, more stars blinked to life, forming their constellations to tell their cosmic tale. The calm of the ocean was a lullaby to his ears, making his eyes grow heavy with sleep.
"I wish we can stay just like this," he muttered before drifting off to sleep.
When he woke up, the moon was high in the night sky. The universe seemed to come alive, their light a warm welcome. With a gasp, he realized his wife was gone. He bolted upright and looked around. There was no one else, not even a seagull was near.
"Eloise!?" he cried, but only the ocean called back.
Warm tears filled his eyes as grief settled in like an old but unwanted friend. He buried his head in his hands, wishing for comfort he would never receive again. It was as if he could almost feel her beside him, but she was just out of reach. A part of something beyond this life which was now painted an unforgiving black.
The man gazed up towards the cosmos, its magic dying just like his heart. No longer did he hear epic tales of the stars, but they now became small dots in the sky. The moon was not a goddess, but just a simple, glowing rock. Everything so large made it all meaningless, for there was no love anymore. His gaze landed on Venus, the brightest star that was not a star, but one many said granted wishes.
"I wish you were here," he whispered.
A cool breeze filled with ocean salt whispered in his ear. It was as if he could almost hear her voice, but not quite. It held an echo of her warmth, still out of reach.
"We will meet again at the end of this life," came her promise, the one she made on her deathbed.
Tears fell down his cheeks as he laid back down on the blanket. Never did the man feel so hollow until she left him on his own. His hand reached towards the heavens, a drowning man wishing someone would save him. Yet, he retreated his hand, for there was no one left to love him as she once did. Seagulls no longer sang in the distance, the water almost still. Darkness settled as midnight approached, with only a few distant stars for comfort. The sand was no longer decorated with thousands of footprints but just a pair. The man was truly all alone.
ns 15.158.61.54da2
