Second Chance Romance

Morning

Rachel is standing on the beach, enjoying the most incredible sunrise. Ribbons of various shades of pink, orange and lavender streak the most brilliant shade of blue. She can smell the salt of the sea, feel the warm sand between her toes and slight change in temperature as the morning comes. Although the tops of the palm fronds sway and she can hear the effects of that mild breeze, she can't feel it against her skin, the currents seem to be just above her head.

She turns away from the light leaking over the horizon to survey the strangers unwittingly sharing this moment with her. A young woman in her early 20's with golden blond, shoulder length curls is setting up a beach chair. A PINK bag from Victoria's Secret resting on the ground with a paperback tucked into a front pocket. It appears to be a romance novel. Interesting to her as she seldom sees anyone reading books these days, much less from this generation.

A very tired looking young mother, appearing to be in her early 30's is carrying a wriggling toddler, already equipped with a dinosaur floaty. She appears to be searching for some specific spot for this family adventure. Her husband trails behind, disheveled and obviously in need of another hour of sleep, carrying what looks to be an assortment of brightly colored objects to occupy the young one in the sand.

A well built, deeply tanned man is jogging away from her. She pauses for just a moment to admire how his leg muscles stretch and contract with each near perfectly timed step. She has mad respect for those with the discipline required to maintain that sort of physique.

There are others, of course. A couple, slightly past middle age, bickering in a manner that reminds her of Ethel and Fred from the days she watched "I Love Lucy" with her grandmother. Stray folks here and there, placing towels and objects on chairs to save their place for later. There are resort attendants, in crisp, collared shirts, setting out towels and clearing sand off the cabana beds for the guests who opted for premium amenities.

She hears music, soft at first but slowly increasing in volume. A song by the Beach Boys that is both incredibly perfect for the moment and mildly irritating for a reason she can't quite understand.

She turns back, determined to enjoy the last precious moments of this Caribbean sunrise before activities drown out her peace.

She feels a soft warmth against her cheek, a slight nuzzle, and then the chill of gooseflesh creeping down the whole right side of her body as she hears that low purr. He knows exactly how to spark that fire that can even over shadow the most picturesque scenery. She leans back into his arms, wanting to savor the embrace.

She falls out of bed. Tangled in a mess of bed sheets and a comforter she probably should have replaced years ago. She looks up at the cat peering over the side of the bed, still purring and now rubbing her head against the mattress, completely unperturbed by the disruptive movements.

Her clock radio, kept for sentimental purposes blaring...

🎶"You know it seems the more we talk about it
It only makes it worse to live without it
But let's talk about it
Oh, wouldn't it be nice?..."🎶

She gently presses the off button. She refuses to mistreat this relic, even if she once again was yanked from that sweet dream too soon. She's had this old clock since high school and even though the digital display has long since burned out, it manages to wake her up at precisely 5:30 half of the year and 6:30 the other half.

Sadie, the calico, is now meowing at her while kneading at her pillow.

"Alright, I get it."

She takes her phone off the charger, slips it into the pocket of her pajamas and heads to the kitchen. The cat on her heels.

She starts the pot of coffee, pulls her favorite mug out of the dishwasher and adds maple syrup and cream to the bottom of the cup. She then opens the can of feline pate and plates is nicely for her furry friend and lays it on the place mat near the table designated for Sadie's breakfast.

Coffee makes its final hiss to let her know it's time and she reverently pours, milky swirls filling nearly to the top. She tastes and added a splash of coconut extract. She isn't quite ready to let go entirely of the beach.

She takes her aromatic mug and walks out to the patio to check her emails and messages. As she settles in, sipping and scrolling she finds nothing pressing to do today. She turns on an audio book, a V.C. Andrews novel about colorful children and a horrible mother and leans back to relax a bit.

Mornings are important to her. She spends her days listening to the needs of others, helping them make decisions and plans. In her own life, she has taken strides to follow her own advice, minimize stress and experience new things regularly.

Really? No child services back then? How is no one checking on these poor kids?  Her mind twisted for a moment after the latest sentences of the novel sink in. 

She turns off the narration. She would prefer to let her mind wander back to the mystery man anyway. These night visits aren't always the same, but the feel of them are. The man is, she knows this, even though she's never seen his face.

As a Travel Agent, she works from a home office. Daily she checks deals, reads news articles surrounding popular destination spots and researches places not typically considered, but often promising. She also always checks on deals for Agents, places to preview or visit at a discounted rate in hopes she will book clients to follow.

Thoughts of the sand between her toes still tickling the back of her mind, she starts looking into resorts in Punta Cana, Cancun, and the Bahamas. Usually with summer only 6 weeks away, she would look into a wilderness trek in Canada, maybe backpacking somewhere in Europe or even something domestic like rock climbing in Colorado... She has a taste for Pina Coladas though and wants to indulge her imagination for a little while longer.

Bored by lunchtime, she decides to go out and try a new Indian buffet that has opened up near what is now called the Springfield Town Center. It was a mall when she was growing up and although cleaner and shinier, it still resembles her old mall. She doesn't understand the need for the change in terminology.