Just A Piece

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The sun is just starting to set as we make our way towards the beach. It's leaving a mix of colors in the sky, in between the blue from the day and the darkness of night is a silver lining that is anything, but silver. It's all sorts of colors. Oranges and pinks and some purple is mixed in there. It looks as if someone took a paintbrush dipped in all of the colors and swirled it around in the sky. It's beautiful. I'm sure he'll paint the scene in front of us tomorrow. I don't think even Owen will be able to capture all of the beautiful colors in front of us in one painting. Some of the shades of purple don't even look real. There must be some unnamed colors in there. A slight breeze blows by and I pull my sweater closer to my body, in an attempt to ward off the cool summers wind. We continue to walk towards the ocean that is gently crashing against the shore. It's a beautiful end to a beautiful day. As Cassidy would say "it's a good day to be alive," and for once I couldn't agree with her more. 

"Is this far enough?" Owen asks next to me as his shoulder brushes against mine.

 I look up at him and smile. I nod my head and plop down onto the sand making an 'omph' sound as I do so. He does the same, settling down next to me slowly, in a much more graceful manner. I bring my legs towards my body sitting Indian style, trying to get in a comfortable position. It's been a long day and i'm glad it's soon over.

 Ten hour shifts are always the best. Owen must be just as tired though, since we always work the same shift. Always. Even though my feet are killing and my hands no doubt have at least a dozen new callouses on them, it has been a good day. Although when you live in paradise it's next to impossible to have a bad day. 

I've never left Hawaii before, it's not like I don't want to. I've just never had a reason to. Everyone and everything I need is right here. And there is something really comforting about that. Believe it or not. There is no way I could leave anyway. If I can't wake up every morning and surf then i'm not myself. It'd be all kinds of wrong. So much so that I can't even think about it. No sun hitting my skin, no sand beneath my feet. No going on my morning runs with Sammy. It'd be tragic. No more nights like this.

"You know Clara..." Owen says, carefully dragging out the 'a' in my name, "we could go anywhere." I snort. Owen isn't that different than me in many ways one of them including the fact that he has never left this island. Not even once.

It's not like I don't want to go backpacking across Europe or sail in the Bermuda Triangle. It's just that I really can't picture myself leaving here for a long period of time. Maybe a few days, but so much has happened to me here. I have so many memories here that I don't want to leave. Born and raised. Same for Owen. Especially after everything that has happened during the past few months-I don't know I just honestly love it here. After all it is a gift that I get to be here. It's a gift that Owen is here. It's a gift that I get to be with him every day that I want to.

"What's so funny?" He asks and pokes my ribs, I let out a little yelp. He's giving me a strange look. As if I don't know him better than anyone else. Hell, probably better than myself. He's a senile old man and he's seventeen. 

"I don't think you'd do it."

"Do what?" Apparently i'm going to have to spell it out for him. 

"Leave. Are you going to go climb pyramids in Egypt?" I tease.

"I'd do it." I laugh and he not so subtly puts his arm around me.

 Which is strange because Owen is usually is on top of his game. All the time. He must be pretty annoyed with me. Or maybe something else is weighing on his mind. I lay my head on his solid chest. 

"No you wouldn't. I know you Owen, you'd never leave." He smiles and places a soft kiss on my cheek, his stubble brushing against my skin along with his lips. A feeling that i've always liked.

"Not by myself of course. I'd drag you along." I smile and shake my head. He'd probably kidnap me if I didn't go with him. I could never leave Cass though so it's completely out of question.

"So where are we going?" 

"Anywhere you want. I heard Rome is nice this time of the year." I'm more than sure Rome is nice anytime of the year.

"Rome? Sounds good. Anywhere else?"

"I don't really care. As long as we're together." I roll my eyes. He's always been a romantic. Or at least has tried to be. 

"As long as we're together." I repeat.