Sweetner

Sitting on a soft towel digging her feet into a hole of warm, powdery sand, she watches the waves ripple onto the shore. The water's translucency lends little coverage to the small silvery fish in the shallows. She gets up to see closer what the sun sparkles on from it's afternoon post and the barely cool surf splashes gently against her ankles. The mist tickles her face as she reaches down to what appears to be a coin, though not a currency she's ever seen. As the sands let go of her small treasure, a simple locket is revealed. Tarnished and scratched, it has no chain but the latch is still solid. She struggles to open it, and would toss it back if not for the engraved symbol that compels further intrigue. The image is nothing she understands, but somehow she knows it to mean sweet. Once open she finds no picture of two lovers, no vintage romance photographed. She finds yet another piece of jewelry, though this one is not tarnished or scratched. Hanging from a silver strand, the small charm is a brilliant light green gem that shines like a star. Without a thought the girl clasps it around her neck, the gem falling just above her chest.

Softly, she starts to cry.

The tears fall silently down her cheek dripping off her sun kissed lips as she loses the strength or will to stand, gently collapsing onto the beach staring at the most beautiful ocean she has ever seen. Her eyes cannot find the ability to blink, as though to blink would lose the moment and the moment could not be lost. It is the best moment she has ever experienced. It is real and the stuff of fairy tales, as though color has not existed before and now it is all at once more brilliant than ever imagined. She dares not blink. She could barely breath. As the tide surrounds her, a firm but kind hand grabs her shoulder. The sun had set hours ago and she is shivering, though her eyes will not look away from the sea now sparkling with moonlight. To her, it was an expanse of diamonds dancing along black hills of onyx. The hand grasps at her again, this time he moves into her view. At first saddened by the interruption of her ocean ballet, she quickly forgets all about it.

This man is more beautiful than even the majestic waters filled with precious stones.

His smile instantly fills her heart with joy as it dimples his cheeks. His eyes are strong and caring. His lips are tender as he kisses her forehead. She realizes she would die if he ever left her. His voice is soft and she did not understand why he felt the need to speak until she hears his words. His words are so kind and so filled with love she prays he would never cease to speak. Her ears could not bare silence after listening to his sweet ramblings. Then she realizes his words mean something, something she understands. He is someone she knows, someone she loves. She is so overcome by relief and excitement of knowing and loving and having and keeping this man, this wonderful beautiful man, she wants only to kiss him.

And so she kisses him.

And she cannot stop kissing him. She kisses him as he lifts her up out of the water and as he carries her across the sands. She kisses him as he wrapped her wet, cold figure with a sand covered towel and she kissed him as he guided her footsteps home. She kisses him in the elevator and she kisses him in the hallway as he struggles with the keys because she won't stop kissing him for one moment. She will not stop kissing him, to not kiss him would be to not live. She must kiss him. He kisses her as he leads her to the shower, and rinses her skin free of salt and sand. He kisses her as he dries her shoulders and arms and legs. He kisses her as they fall onto the white covers of their bed. They kiss as though it is all that exists in their world, because it is all that exists. Their kisses go further though they never cease kissing. In these kisses she slowly drifts to sleep, though in her dreams the kissing continues. Each kiss sweeter than the last.