Hypothesis : Love

16

Three days later and Kenadie felt like their flight to Mauritius had been one of the most tiresome journeys of her whole life. But once they got there, it felt completely worth it.

She and Sebastian had just arrived at their room at a five-star resort. An entire wall was covered in glass doors, providing them with a panoramic view of the beach that could be best enjoyed from the bed. An eager Sebastian dropped his bags and rushed to open all the doors, enamored by the view.

As the doors opened they were immersed in the smell of sea water and the sound of water crashing against the shore. She took in the view, smiling at the fact that she'd be waking up to this for the next two weeks.

"I can't believe we're here," she said.

"I know right, let's go outside," he said, cocking his head to the side to point to the beach.

"We'll go. I just have to unpack some things first."

"Unpacking? You could literally do that any other time. Let's go, I promise we'll be right back."

She was about to shake her head no when he stomped his way to her, dropped her bags and slung her over his shoulder. Her feet were in the air and her head facing the ground. As pathetic of an attempt as it was, she couldn't help but kick and scream to free herself from his tight grip around her waist.

"Sebastian let me go!"

"We're almost there," he laughed.

"I can't even see the sea from here," she cried, although the view she got of his posterior wasn't exactly one to frown about.

After a dizzying few minutes, Kenadie's feet met the ground, the soles of her shoes disappeared into the sand. She held onto Sebastian's arm for balance. She looked onto the blue of the ocean seemed to disappear into that of the sky, creating a breath-taking view.

"I have a feeling this is going to be the best trip," Kenadie said.

"The first of many," Sebastian said as he reached down to kiss her forehead.

***

Two days into their vacation, they were having the best time of their lives. The resort was not only a peaceful sanctuary with its beautiful beach and luxurious hotel rooms, but it was also a haven for a great cultural and immersive experience.

Kenadie learnt that just over sixty percent of the people who lived in the surrounding communities made their living through the tourism industry, which wasn't much of a surprise. But not only was it a source of income for the locals, a few of them managed to find love through it.

Kenadie and Sebastian were currently on a small boat ride with a man named Kersley as their captain and tour guide. Something about the way the couple held hands and looked at each other like they'd been together for a lifetime moved him to want to share a story of his own love life. How he fell in love with an American tourist who'd come with her family but was sad because he'd never get to see her again.

"I knew it was a risk, falling for someone who comes from so far away and who I barely knew. But at the time it was worth it. I don't regret it. If I hadn't taken the risk, I wouldn't have known what it was like to love," said Kersley, his eyes focused on the large expanse of water still ahead of them.

Kenadie and Sebastian shared a look of sympathy for the man who was pouring her heart out to a couple of strangers. She wondered if he shared this story with everyone he met. But either way, that didn't change the fact that his words resonated with her.

"That's a beautiful story Kersely," she managed.

The man only gave a small smile as a response.