The Silence | ✔️

30. U

"Elijah is a girl," she giggled.

I leaned down and got a closer look. "That's alright. Elijah doesn't know that she's got a man's name."

"Alright everyone," the woman running the group clapped her hands together. "Take your baby turtle to about a meter from the waters edge and let it go."

We wandered towards the waters edge and Ari held the little turtle up to her face with kiss lips. She didn't kiss the cute little creature but she did coo at it for a minute. "Bye Elijah," she let her bottom lip jut out with a sad gaze. "I'm going to miss her!"

"I bet she'll miss you too," I grinned.

We both crouched down and she set Elijah in the sand. She laughed when it's fins started pushing it towards the water. It was quick and beelined straight for the small waves that lapped at the shore. I wrapped an arm around Arian's shoulder and she leaned into me as she waved at her new friend. She was so sentimental and cute. It warmed me all over.

"She's going to love the ocean," she nodded. "This was the best thing ever."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," I said, pressing a soft kiss on her head.

The moonlight shone on the turtles shell just as she disappeared under the surface. Other couples beside us were clapping and snapping photos on their phones. But Arian just sat there. I could feel her cheeks swelling with a smile against my chest. She was absorbing the moment and I held her close. Loving every moment that she felt happiness. It was worth it. It was so worth all of it.

When the SUV pulled up at the resort later, Arian was asleep on my shoulder, curled up in the backseat beside me. I tipped the driver and slid out, scooping her up as gently as I could. She held on to me and startled with a little snore.

"Aiden," she murmured as I walked across the grounds towards our room. It wasn't far and she was as light as a feather. But as warm as the weather was, the night breeze was getting cooler and she wasn't dressed with long sleeves.

"Just sleep baby," I leaned down and grabbed the handle, being careful not to push Arian's back against it. I slid the door to our bedroom open and placed her in the bed before I jogged back to the door and closed it again.

She snuggled on to her side and mumbled my name again. Her movements were almost unsettled, fidgeting with restlessness. The room was dark but spotlights outside were offering a hint of luminous into the room. So I stripped down to my Calvin's as fast as I could and climbed into the bed beside her, pulling her into my chest.

Feeling her body relax was immediate. She settled and her breathing became more even. Knowing that I was helping her, just as much as she was helping me, was enough to make me feel more whole than I've felt in the longest time.

________

In the morning, the bed was empty beside me. I could feel the sun pouring in through the doors which were half pushed open, offering relief from the sweltering heat with a mild breeze. Outside, I could see the hammock stretched from one palm tree to the other. It moved with the wind, as did the palm branches and resort flags.

But what had me pushing the sheets back and wandering through into the kitchen and living area, was the aroma of hot food and coffee. Arian stood at the oven, pushing scrambled eggs around a pan while bacon sizzled in another. She had showered, her copper hair was damp and she had her favourite yellow bikini on with an almost white sundress draped over top.

I leaned against the countertop and watched her, not able to keep from smiling at how she bopped along to her own mumbled song. She turned around and stretched for something on the countertop that I was leaning on and gasped with fright.