Bray lay staring at the ceiling, the early morning sun starting to shine through the balcony doors. She should have been ecstatic. Faith was lying with her head on Bray’s chest, her arm over Bray’s stomach.
After all the emotion of last night, Faith had fallen fast asleep and never let go. Bray, on the other hand, couldn’t. There were so many thoughts and feelings going around in her head, mainly about what would happen when they got back to the cold, wet, rainy reality of Glasgow.
They were floating in a tropical paradise, and it felt as if they were on a different planet. How would she ever cope with losing Faith again?
Bray kissed Faith’s brow and stroked her bare back. She was scared.
Soon, Faith began to stir. She hummed and stretched, and then kissed Bray’s chest. “Morning, baby. You’re awake early.”
“I’m used to getting up early,” Bray said.
Faith leaned up on her arm and kissed Bray’s lips. “That was the best sleep I’ve had since we split up. It’s so good to be in your arms again.”
Now, Bray told herself. Ask Faith if this is what she really wants before you get any more involved.
She looked into Faith’s warm, loving eyes and tried to get the courage to speak the truth. “Faith? I need to say something.”
Faith appeared to catch her serious mood and a worried look spread across her face. “What is it? You’re not regretting last night, are you?”
“Of course not. I just wanted to say that I love you. I’ve never stopped. I never said that last night,” Bray said.
Faith let out a long breath. “I love you too. It feels so good to say that to you again. I used to look at our wedding picture all the time and tell you I loved you. I never thought I’d get the chance to say it in person.”
Faith leaned down and gave Bray the softest kiss, then stroked her fingers through Bray’s short dark hair. Just looking at Bray made her heart skip. There was no one like Bray.
“Why did you never find someone else?” Faith asked. “I mean, four years is a long time.”
Bray caressed her cheek with her fingertips. “You were and are my forever girl. No one else could ever take that place in my heart.”
Faith couldn’t stop the tears from welling up in her eyes at the mention of Bray’s pet name for her. My forever girl.
“You remembered,” Faith said.
“Of course I remembered. I called you my forever girl when we met, and if we never saw each other again, I’d still call you that.” Bray wiped away Faith’s falling tears with her thumb. “I’m a simple person, and there’s only room for one girl in my heart.”
“Even when she’s old and gray?” Faith said.
Bray smiled. “Especially then.”
Faith pushed her onto her back and kissed her deeply. She pulled away and said, “I want to remember every part of you.”
She kissed her way down Bray’s body and heard her say, “I’ll do anything to make you happy, darlin’.”
* * *
Faith awoke from sleep and grinned as she remembered who was spooned around her back. This morning and last night had been heaven, she thought, as she pulled Bray’s hand to her chest. She looked at the bedside clock and saw it was two in the afternoon. They’d missed breakfast and lunch, and she didn’t care one bit, but their friends would have realized they were together.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” Bray said.
“It’s two o’clock. We fell asleep again.”
Bray stretched. “It was the sleep of the gods. I can’t remember the last time I lay in bed so long.”
Faith turned around to face her. “Yes, it was great, but our friends are going to suspect we are together.”
“Does that bother you?” Bray asked.
“Not at all. I think we just need to be clear and honest with ourselves before we face the others.”
Bray sat up immediately, a serious look on her face. “Clear and honest,” she repeated.
“Yes,” Faith said, “after all we’ve been through to get back to here, I think we need to be. I don’t think I could go through any more heartache.”
Bray nodded. “Why don’t we have fun and date for the rest of the holiday? Like we did when we first met. Then when we get back home to our normal lives, we can think about what we want to do next.” It was the real life part that was worrying her.
“As long as we do it together,” Faith said.
Just then Faith’s stomach began to rumble. Bray laughed. “I think we better feed you.”
Faith giggled. “I think making love makes me hungry. Why don’t we be decadent and order room service?”
“Sounds fantastic,” Bray said. She got up and pulled on her boxers, then picked up the menu from the coffee table. “Shit!” She ducked suddenly, startling Faith.
“What’s wrong?” Faith said.
“I forgot we were docked in St. Thomas today. There’s people on the dock looking in.” She crouched and crawled her way back to Faith, who could not stop laughing.
“You’d have to have pretty good eyesight to see in here, and if they do, they’ll get a gorgeous sight.”
Faith wasn’t joking. Time had not dampened her attraction to Bray. She was everything Faith had ever wanted in a partner. Manual labor gave Bray a strong body, but only Faith knew how soft her heart was.
“I’d rather keep my body just to you, darlin’,” Bray said as she pulled on a T-shirt quickly.
Faith looked briefly at the menu, then realized this was their last excursion day before they went home. “Bray, we’ve missed most of our last excursion day. Everyone else will be ashore.”
Bray shrugged. “We didn’t have anything planned on St. Thomas till tonight. We were only going for a walk around the shops near the port.”
“True. But I’m looking forward to tonight. Are you?” The whole gang was going on a tour of the St. Thomas Mangrove Lagoon in special glass-bottomed kayaks.
“Yeah, it’ll be fun.” Bray flopped onto the bed and put her arm around Faith. “Can I be your kayak partner?”
“If you’re good,” Faith joked. “Now let’s get some food. I’m starving.”
* * *
“Whoa, this is amazing,” Bray said.
It was pitch-dark apart from the lights around the perimeter of the kayak, and the moon and stars above. Bray sat in front of Faith in their two-person kayak, doing the paddling and steering.
The whole bottom of the kayak was made of Plexiglas so they could see the mangrove marine life below.
“Look at the stingray, Bray,” Faith said behind her, as the gray shape appeared beneath them.
“I see it.”
Their tour guide was standing on a bodyboard up ahead, holding a paddle and wearing a headlamp so she could keep an eye on them all.
“There’s a few turtles down there,” the tour guide said.
Bray felt Faith’s fingers caress her back. “I want to see a turtle,” Faith said.
Their friends had shot quite a few smirks, smiles, and winks their way when they met on deck for the excursion, holding hands and clearly together.
Kris and Jan had beamed from ear to ear. Faith had explained to them they were just taking it slowly, but that didn’t stop Kris from smacking her on the back and saying, “I told you so, Braydon, didn’t I? You were meant for each other.”
Bray was on top of the world, and as long as she kept her worries about their future out of her head, she was enjoying making Faith smile again.
She heard Kris’s voice in the darkness. “We’ve got two turtles over here.”
She quickly paddled in their direction. “You’ll see a turtle, darlin’.”
They arrived over at Kris and Jan’s boat, and Bray didn’t slow down. Their kayaks bumped gently.
Kris shouted, “Watch it,” then flicked some water at Bray with her paddle.
Bray laughed and flicked some water back, before Jan said, “Stop behaving like five-year-olds—you’ll scare off the turtles.”
“Look, Bray,” Faith said. “There’s one there.”
The big turtle, seemingly oblivious to their watchful eyes, just moseyed slowly across the sea floor.
Faith handed Bray her video camera. “Quick, take some footage of him, baby.”
Every time Faith used her old term of endearment, Bray lost a little more of her restraint and relaxed her vow to go slowly. It was like turning back time to the beginning of their marriage, when they had no clue about what sadness was lying ahead for them.
She took the camera, which was waterproof, and held it beneath the water.
“There’s the other one coming behind it,” Bray said.
“Oh, it’s beautiful. Hi, Mr. Turtle,” Faith said.
“Mr. and Mrs. Turtle, I think,” Bray said.
They saw lots of beautiful fish and marine life as they paddled around. It truly was an amazing experience.
Bray felt so contented. She looked above her at the bright stars and the almost-full moon and felt awe. “Faith, look up at the sky.”
“It’s gorgeous. You don’t get clear nights like that in Glasgow.”
Then Faith touched her shoulder. “Bray, lie back a minute.”
Bray looked over her shoulder. “What?”
Faith smiled. “Let’s lie back and look at the stars.”
Bray had a quick look to either side and saw the kayaks were paddling away from their position. She leaned back slowly into Faith’s arms and looked up at her open smiling face.
“I should be holding you,” Bray said.
“We all need to be held sometimes. Relax.”
Faith lay back against the back of the boat, and Bray put her head in her lap. Faith stroked Bray’s head and cheeks.
“The stars are so bright,” Faith said.
The lapping of the water at the side of the boat added to the peaceful scene.
“I’ve missed this. Just you and me,” Faith said.
Bray reached back to clasp her hand and brought it to her lips. “Me too.”
“Do you think about Callum?” Faith asked.
“Yeah, I always think about him and the life he could have had.”
Faith sighed. “I often think he’d be disappointed that we split up after he left us. I mean, I know that’s silly—he wasn’t even born yet. Maybe it’s me that’s disappointed in myself.”
“You’ve got nothing to feel disappointed about. I’m the one who should be disappointed.”
“Bray, I know you probably think that it’s just because we’re away from home or in such a romantic place, and we said we’d date and go slowly, but I love you, and I’d like to try again when we get back to Glasgow.”
“What would your mum and dad think about that?” Bray asked.
“They’d be understanding. They always loved you.”
“Until I let them down.”
Faith sighed, “You didn’t—”
They were interrupted by the tour leader paddling over to them. “If you’d follow me, please, we’re taking the boats in now.”
Bray jumped up quickly. “Sure. Lead the way.”
They would have to have this conversation again soon. Faith thought everything was so simple, but life was never that simple.