Eternal Sunshine

Positions

Aquamarine waves lap against white sand in their endless rise and fall. The tide slowly pulling away towards the sea. Ariana gazes out the passenger window as Elon pulls the Model Y into a vacant lot of the private beach. The clouds glow shades of gold and pink with the setting sun. But soon the colors fade as the light dims.

From across the bay, Ariana can see the Falcon rocket with a Dragon capsule fitted on top. Elon launches into a detailed explanation of every part of the rocket, including the difficulties in production and the team's creative problem solving. Most of the intricacies of rocket science are far beyond her understanding, but she loves hearing him talk about things he loves. He's nearly quivering with excitement, his speech speeding up as though he can't restrain his energy.

They watch the countdown as the engines fire up and the rocket launches into the air. It climbs high and disappears into the clouds. They continue to watch its journey via livestream on the Tesla's touchscreen. Giddy with happiness, Elon describes everything that's happening, all the atmospheric conditions, and the stress on the rocket. Dragon separates perfectly and it propels off to the Space Station. Meanwhile the first stage flips and returns to earth. Merlin engines burn to slow it down.The clouds illuminate with fire as the booster descends. The landing legs extend and it gently touches down, engines cutting off. Ariana can't help but shiver in awe, feeling goosebumps break out on her skin.

Elon turns to her with a look of pure joy etched in every feature. He must have watched his rockets take off and land hundreds of times, but he looks as delighted as if it was the first time. Ariana's heart swells as she sees his boundless passion. The words fall from her lips before she can think twice.

"I love you."

Elon's eyes widen. Happiness morphs into surprise, and something more. That vulnerability he tries to hide, but never quite seems to push all down. He reaches out and holds her hands, staring deep into her eyes.

He makes a soft noise, swallows and tries again. "A-Ari. Do you really mean that?"

She squeezes his hands tightly and smiles. "Yes, I mean it with all my heart. I love you."

Ecstatic joy infuses his face and suddenly he's kissing her. His lips pressing so hard against hers that it's straining her neck. She doesn't mind though, his unrestrained passion is one of the many reasons why she loves him.

Between kisses Elon manages to say, "I love you too." Then after more kisses, "I love you so much." And only after many more kisses, "Thank you for being here with me. I know that my life can be a whirlwind and it means a lot to have you by my side."

Ariana smiles happily and rests back in her seat. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Plus I just got to see a rocket launch and land! Knock me the fuck out, that's so fucking cool!"

Elon chuckles and looks over at the landed Falcon. "Just wait until we get to watch the next Starship test."

Ariana feels a swooping sensation. "I might have a mental breakdown! I don't know how I'm going to handle all that excitement."

"Well it's completely up to you, we can watch from the control room or privately."

Ariana feels her skin tingling with excitement. "I want to watch Starship from the control room! I can't believe I'll get to watch history unfold right before my eyes." She takes a calming breath to try to rein in her excitement. Smiling, she looks around at the Tesla. White leather seats were folded down in the back to create a decent sized bed, complete with blankets and pillows. The glass roof of the car was the perfect viewing spot for stargazing. "Although I have to say, it's really nice to have our own private space. What do you have planned for tonight?"