James stared out at the ocean. The
sun was setting behind the clouds, casting a faint orange glow across the
shimmering water. He watched as the waves rolled in, time after time, never
missing a beat.
Where do waves begin?
style='color:black'>James wondered. And why do they wash up on a particular
beach? They always seem to know exactly where they’re going…unlike me, he
admitted.
“James.”
James was startled out of his
thoughts by a voice. He turned around to see Jessibelle, gorgeous in a tight,
white, sleeveless dress that stopped just above her mid-thigh. A wide brimmed
straw hat with a blue checkered ribbon hung lopsidedly over her left shoulder.
“Jessibelle,” James replied
awkwardly, not knowing what to say.
“James, what were you doing?”
“Just….thinking.”
“About what?”
James looked back toward the
ocean. “Things…..the mansion, this house…..I’m not sure we made the right
choice. I mean, we left behind a huge estate just for a beach house. We’re
happy here, and all, but sometimes I just wish someone could tell me that I did
the right thing…”
Jessibelle gazed lovingly at him
with her clear blue eyes. “You did the right thing, James, I’m sure of it.” She
grinned broadly. “After all, if you hadn’t realized that, I’d still be back at that
stuffy estate worrying about how to eat spaghetti properly.” James laughed and
watched as the last tinge of red disappeared from the sky. “You know something,
Jessibelle?”
“What?”
“It’s beautiful tonight.”
“Yeah….” Jessibelle said dreamily.
“And we can watch it together.”
They turned to see the first star
appear in the night sky. The wind blew calmly across the sea, making
Jessibelle’s hair fly into her face. She reached up and gently brushed it away.
Leaning closer to James, she whispered, “I love you.”
“I love you too,” he whispered
back. He wrapped his arms around her in a passionate embrace. Leaning forward,
he kissed her, long and hard. He felt her return the kiss, and they broke
apart.
“James, look!” Jessibelle pointed
between them. Two shoes had washed up neatly beside each other.
The first was a weathered red
heel, still holding a bit of the beauty it originally had. Even stained and
torn, it was obvious that it had been glamorous in its day. Jessibelle reached
out and tentatively picked it up.
The second shoe was an old black boot. Dirty and
scratched, it had obviously been on countless adventures. But only James would
know what kind…..he slowly extended his fingers and pulled it to him.
James and Jessibelle looked at
each other knowingly.
Two shoes that
had washed up on the beach, insignificant, yet at the same able to convey a
powerful message of love that would never be forgotten….