STUCK 2

Chapter 35

Donavan returned with brows furrowed, shirt crumpled and a tie loosened. It was already midnight. He opened few doors to guess which room Tara would be in, and after several failed attempts, he realised how dumb could he be. 

Of course she had chosen a sea view. 

She was half asleep by Ina's side, her hand inadvertently resting on the full tummy of little baby, patting the snoring child. Even though he had ensured minimum noise, she abruptly woke up when he came, looking at him with no intention to speak. They both stayed in their places for moments, watching each other breathe in the dark, then he quietly excused himself to washroom without another word. 

When he came out, he was only wearing track pant and tank top. This time, despite being aware of her gaze he left the room, softly jogging downstairs. Much to his surprise she followed him into the kitchen, as he pulled the leftover Lasagna from the fridge and pushed it inside the oven. 

She watched him eat, resting her chin on her palm, as his jaw moved and he gulped, pushing another fork of big chunk inside his mouth. No one had anything to say, at least important enough to disturb the silence between them. 

He was barefoot when he opened the main door, walking out of the door in the chilly air of night. But unlike the time before she didn't follow him, rather walking along, her feet just like him, without the luxury of shoes. He held her hand with ease, as if he did it without needing the courage to, walking out through the narrow road spanned by tall sizzling trees, to the way that led to the heavy noise of shore. 

Sand was soft, welcoming, offering warmth in the chilly dark night. Waves of the ocean appeared unusually white in the utter darkness, crashing the shore with their usual noise, setting the music, making it impossible for anyone to forget where they were. Only an arc of the moon was left in the sky, as if the reign of darkness had taken a big chunk of it. 

But it was enough. Everything was enough. 

He didn't notice the nuances of their environment with as much as details as she did. Rather he couldn't when she walked besides him, letting her hand rest in his without complaint, without resent. 

To him, moon never mattered, the effects of it on her did, breeze never mattered, the way her hair swayed on it did, the world did not matter, her existence in it, did. 

She dared looked up the sky when they sat in the mushy sand, her back resting against his chest, her body safely tucked in between his legs. And when she looked up, he watched her neck, admiring the glimpses of veins rustling through her, keeping her alive, outside himself. She admired the stars, he admired his star. Hers were far far away, his was in his arms. Her love for them was evanescent, his ever lasting. 

The noise of nature had an addition of kiss that he landed below her ear, and then on her neck, expecting nothing in return. 

"How was your day?" she asked when her neck pained from staring up for too long. 

She didn't want an answer, for that matter, she didn't want anything, but she spoke, not knowing why.

"Tiring" he continued observing her. 

"Why?" she whispered, staring ahead of herself as he softly brushed her hair back, noticing her features as if he saw her for the first time. 

"I don't know" he said, finally joining her in the staring contest with the sea. 

"You're getting old" she spoke idly, adjusting on the sand so the responsibility of her weight shifted more on him, "What are you? Forty? Forty five?"

He did not laugh, watching the sea. 

"Thirty six" 

"So you're almost there" 

"You think?" he asked, shifting his eyes back on her that remained glued on the milky waves. 

"Yeah I mean, old people get tired. You're old. Two plus two four. "

"Let's get back inside I'll show you how tired I am"

She smiled, finally looking towards him. Her expressions turned serious when she noticed sincerity in him. 

"Do you ever think of anything else Mr. Frantino?" 

"Yes. Many things" he brushed his knuckles across her soft cheeks. 

"Like what?"

"Like how would I teach you swimming in our pool, or take you to the pizza place next street or tell you how unlucky you are that you have to settle for moon because you can't see yourself like I do."