Two little children ran frightfully away from the oncoming surf, giggling as they raced their way up onto drier sand. The waves themselves, however, were pretty mild today, just like the heat from that famed Florida sun he'd always been talking about.
She lay there in the sun, listening to the children prattle to their adult companions about the seashells they found, wondering about the day she may be able to bring her own children out to the beach and have them play around in the foamy waves.
But that had to be years from now...right?
Meanwhile, he was inside that once oh-so-lonely beach house, livened up again by its two occupants, even if it was only for just two weeks. There was, after all, the possibility of coming back to stay someday. Having just opened two beers to take back outside with him, he noticed the light blinking on the answering machine. He glanced outside at her as she lay on the patio in her beach chair, then figured that she could wait a few more minutes while he checked the messages.
There was only one. He had to listen to it twice.
"Chris, it's me. I heard from one of the guys that you're back in town for a couple of weeks. I...well...I know I haven't had my head on straight for a while now but I've had time to think. I've had a lot of time to think, actually, Chris." [Pause] "I want to open those lines of communication again. Now I know I've been a little rude lately but you have to understand where I'm coming from. I'm not saying it'll lead to anything, but maybe you could come up and see me for a few days. Just to try to re-kindle it up again, you know? I..."
He stopped the machine halfway the second time around. Taking the tape out, he nonchalantly flipped it over into the wastebasket and went back outside.
"Hey beautiful."
Stephanie turned up to look at him through her sunglasses. "I'm enjoying the view."
"Me too," he said, glancing over her bikini and whistling.
"Shut up and give me that," she grinned, grabbing the bottle from him. He knelt down beside her then, fondling her hair.
"What?" She brushed his hand away, chuckling.
"I've told you how much I love you today, right?"
Stephanie coyly nodded. "But there's always room for improvement. Who was that on the phone earlier?"
He shrugged and smiled. "Some girl. Had the wrong number." He stroked at Stephanie's hair again and kissed at it. "I think she was looking for some guy that doesn't live here anymore."
~*~