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It was early.
The moon was still visible in the sky and everything was still shrouded in the cover of darkness. The air had a slight hint of a chill, though Claudia knew it would disappear as soon as the sun rose. Crickets chirped somewhere nearby.
Rolling out of the surprisingly comfortable bed had been a near-impossible task. When her alarm had started squawking, she had been abruptly roused from a deep, restful slumber. All Claudia had wanted to do was hit snooze and go back to sleep.
But she could sleep in anytime. She only had one opportunity to watch the sunrise on the beach in Fort Lauderdale. And so, Claudia had reluctantly dragged herself out of bed and thrown on the first clean outfit she pulled from her suitcase.
She didn’t even want to think about the laundry she would have to do upon her return home, or the work emails she would need to sort through. She was grateful her party planning business was gaining popularity, but it required a lot of time, attention and energy.
It was anyone’s guess whether her cats would be extra clingy or if they would refuse to even look in her direction after her time away. Claudia knew the cats would either be glued to her side and constantly get underfoot, or they would outright reject her in that soul crushing way only insulted cats could. They could be fickle little divas when it suited them.
“That’s a problem for later,” Claudia whispered to herself.
“Did you say something?” Scott asked.
“Never mind. There’s sure not much traffic out at this hour.”
“It’s practically still nighttime,” Scott pointed out. “Anyone with sense is home in bed.”
“Sorry I made you wake up so early,” Claudia told him. “I should have let you sleep.”
“Nah, it’s fine. I want to see the sunrise,” Scott assured her.
“Since when do you care about that sort of thing?”
“Since I started dating a woman who cares about that sort of thing.”
She smiled. In his own gruff, sometimes tactless way, Scott really was sweet. She reached for his hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze as they walked toward the beach. It felt unusually clammy. She hoped he wasn’t coming down with something.
“I hear seagulls,” Claudia said, cocking her head to the side.
“Yeah, we’re getting close to the water. In fact, I think that’s the beach right up there,” Scott pointed. He pursed his lips when he noticed she was limping. “How’s your leg feeling?”
“I’m managing,” she replied. She had taken some over the counter painkillers before they had set out on their short walk. She was still experiencing some discomfort, but she didn’t want to dwell on it. She was determined not to let anything ruin their beachfront sunrise.
Scott stopped walking so abruptly that Claudia nearly walked into him.
He turned to look at her.
“You’re in pain,” he said.
“It’s not that bad,” she insisted, wishing she hadn’t said anything at all. “I’m totally up for another block or two. Then I’ll have a rest while we watch the sunrise and be good to walk back to the hotel.”
Scott wasn’t having it. Before Claudia even knew what was happening, he scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing at all. “I’m carrying you the rest of the way to the beach,” he announced.
“Put me down!” she protested, playfully pounding on Scott’s back. “You’re going to injure yourself. I’m way too heavy for you to carry, especially after all the pigging out I did on the cruise.”
“You’re not as heavy as you think you are,” Scott informed her. “Besides, I’m strong.” With that, he began to walk. Claudia had to admit, it felt good to be off her feet...even if she was now looking at the world upside down.
Before she knew it, they had arrived at the beach.
There weren't many people around, though Claudia suspected that would change as the day wore on. She spotted a couple of people way off in the distance jogging, and there were a few surfers out on the water. A grey-haired man was playing fetch with his dog near the shoreline. Aside from that, they basically had the beach to themselves.
They crossed the street and found themselves in the soft white sand. Scott carried Claudia over to a wooden bench overlooking the water and gently set her down. He sat next to her and they stared out at the ocean.
“I can smell the salt in the air and hear the waves crashing. If I close my eyes, it feels like we’re still on the cruise,” Claudia said wistfully. “I wish we were still on the cruise.”
“A sign of a good trip,” Scott remarked.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. “I want to go on another cruise,” she announced, determined. “I don’t know where, and I don't know when it will be. It might be ten years from now,” she shrugged. “But I want to cruise again.”
“Okay,” Scott agreed. “We can go on another cruise sometime.”
“You enjoyed it too, right? It wasn’t just me?”
“I had a good time,” he assured her as he gazed out at the water. He shifted his body toward her so he could look her in the eye. “But I think I’d be content pretty much anywhere, as long as I’m with you.”
A feeling of warmth spread through her. She smiled at Scott and leaned into him, nestling her head against his chest. He put his arm around her, squeezing her shoulders slightly. Claudia was glad she had dragged herself out of bed before dawn. She knew the memories they were making were ones she would cherish for years to come.
Suddenly Scott leapt to his feet.
“What’s wrong?” Claudia gasped, startled.
“I thought I saw a bug,” he told her with a sheepish grin.
She raised an eyebrow. Scott wasn’t one to have an overreaction to insects; that was her job. His behavior was out of character, but maybe he was simply overtired, she reasoned. “Are you going to sit back down?” she asked, motioning to the empty seat beside her.
“Yeah, in a minute.” He stretched his legs and then walked behind the bench, out of sight.
A group of young adults arrived at the beach. They spread out a large blanket a short distance away. It was difficult to tell if they were up early or if they had been out partying all night. Claudia suspected it was the latter.
There were four guys and three girls. They chatted noisily amongst themselves, laughing and carrying on. Some of them had brown paper bags with them. Claudia was pretty sure open booze wasn’t allowed on the beach, but she wasn’t familiar with the local laws. Even if they were doing something they weren’t supposed to, they weren’t hurting anyone.
Behind her, Claudia heard Scott mutter something under his breath.
“You okay?” she asked him.
“Yeah.” He walked around to the front of the bench, seeming a bit unsure of himself. He glanced toward the water. “Whoa, did you see that surfer?” he remarked, motioning for Claudia to have a look.
She peered out at the water. She furrowed her brow in confusion. She saw a few surfers out on their boards, but no one seemed to be doing anything particularly remarkable. She had no idea what Scott had wanted her to see. “Which one?” she asked.
He didn’t answer.
“Scott?” she said, turning her attention back to him.
He was standing in front of her. As her eyes met his, he sank down on one knee.
Claudia’s initial reaction was to worry. She remembered how clammy his hand had been when she had held it. She nearly asked him if he was okay, but then she saw him reaching into the pocket of his grey hooded sweatshirt.
She froze.
It was happening. It was finally happening.
Scott was about to propose!
