He never said a word the whole car ride to my cove. He kept his eyes focused on the road and his hands gripped the steering wheel.
'Turn in here,' I whispered softly. He rolled the wheel into the parking space and turned the key. I could tell he was immediately captivated by the pathway of light that lead across the ever-moving water to the moon as it hung low in the sky. Without taking his eyes off the moon, he dragged his body from his seat and into the cool night air. He made his way over to my side and helped me out of the car.
'Quick come down here!' I took his hand and dragged him from the asphalt, down the sandy wooden path and onto the shoreline.
'This is absolutely mind blowing,' His eyes were wide, and I could feel his pulse as I gripped his hand.
'It's mind blowing that you've never seen the ocean,' I responded making him smile.
'We didn't travel a lot, my name's Patrick Carmondy,' he introduced, his eyes suddenly focused on me.
'Brooklyn Murphy,' I said blushing in the dark. Patrick let go of my hand and slipped out of his boots and socks, his toes wriggling in the sand. He slowly stepped forward, getting closer and closer to the water. He gasped as the cool water lapped at his toes.
'It's so beautiful.' Patrick whispered in awe.
'You think that's beautiful, wait till you see the trees!' I exclaimed, slipping out of my shoes. Patrick's green eyes sparkled with joy as he imagined the trees. I took his hand and we tore down the beach, sand flicking up behind us as we ran. It was a bright night, so being able to see wasn't an issue. I bolted into the forest, hiding inside a tree we played in as little kids.
'COOWEE!' Patrick echoed, birds fluttered into the night, but I stayed hidden.
'Brooklyn?' His voice questioned. I could hear his bare feet stepping on the foliage.
'Brooklyn please,' I could tell he was beginning to assume the worst. I stepped out from the tree and a smile appeared on his face.
'This place is magnificent!' Patrick said, rolling his head to the canopy then to the ocean between the trees.
'My brothers and I used to play in here for hours.' I reminisced, jumping onto a root that weaved its way into a small creek. Patrick stepped through the creek before scooping me up into his arms. I felt safe, his heartbeat was calming as he carried me through the forest. Memories of my brothers and my fears of the future swirled through my head, I felt tears begin to well in my eyes.
'What's wrong?' A worried look shadowed his face placed me down at the foot of a tree.
'My brothers, all three of them were sent to Vietnam, all three of them are good soldiers but even the best has a chance at death, it is 1965 the world doesn't need this anymore!' a tear spilled down my cheek as he wrapped his arms around me.
'Brooklyn, we Australians have an amazing life, we are all different and this war has brought us all together, I hate the idea of war and I've been chosen to fight it with a bunch of blokes I've never met yet I trust with my whole life!' Patrick's lip wobbled.
'But why? Why do you trust them?' I cried.
'Why? Because we're Australians. Australians don't let each other down, we leave no man behind, we hold the person beside us high even if it means we get pushed down, we never give up, we are strong, we are selfless and tenacious and everything we do is done with love for our country.' His calloused hands cupped my damp cheeks, his thumbs brushing the tear away.
'Don't cry Murphy, I was bought to you for a reason and if that reason is to promise you that everything will be ok then, sweet girl, my new-found love, everything is going to be fine.' The starlight kissed our tear stained cheeks as we gazed into each-other's eyes, so caught up in the sudden gift of love we were given that night. We were lost in each other's existence and in awe of everything around us that kissing him was more than right. I only knew his name, but that was all I needed, because love isn't labelled by the name on the paper but by the colour of the eyes and the light in the smile.
It was his eyes that stole all my words away, it was him, him who made all those Shakespeare quotes make sense. It was him who made me believe in magic. The roar of the ocean holds secrets of moonlight lovers. Love rises with the tide, it lives within the waves.
His hands shook as he caressed my bare skin. He kissed me in more places I'd ever been kissed before and with so much passion the night felt like it would happily last forever. I had never felt a kiss, or a love quite as powerful as ours that night.
'You are perfect.' Patrick whispered, pressing our foreheads together, our breathes heavy and minds at peace.
His fingertips were electric and engulfed my body with Goosebumps with every touch. Perspiration coated our desire driven bodies as we lay beneath the trees, in a state neither of us had been in before. I'd known this man less than 12 hours and already Patrick Carmondy was beginning to resemble Sonnet 18. I lay beneath him, his tingling lips hanging just above mine. His warm breath hit my cheeks as his limp dark hair grew messier with every second.
'You know I hope I cross your mind Pat, while you're over there.' I said.
'You are gonna be the person I daydream about for the rest of my life.' His reply was so simple but the truth behind it made my tired heart skip a beat. I grinned, and he grinned, before pressing his lips against mine for the millionth time that starry night.