by Jamey Moody
“What or who are you looking for?” Alex asked.
“I’m looking for that beautiful girlfriend of yours. She has to be around here someplace for you to have that big smile plastered on your face.”
“Girlfriend. I like the sound of that,” said Alex.
“Where is she?”
“She went to help Kara pack up. Her flight leaves tomorrow. I’m so happy Riley will not be getting on that plane.”
“I know you are, honey.”
“Liz, she told me she’s in love with me.”
“She did! And what did you say?”
“Actually, I told her first. She told me she was staying, and I was so happy. I asked her to live here with me. I just blurted it out. The words were out of my mouth before I knew what I was saying. Then, I told her I was in love with her. I couldn’t believe I said it.”
Liz was smiling as she asked, “Are you sorry you said it?”
“No! I don’t know what’s come over me, Liz. I’ve never felt like this about anyone, and it’s so wonderful. It’s the best feeling ever; Riley is amazing. So, what in the world is she doing with me? I can’t believe it!” said Alex, shaking her head.
“What do you mean? You happen to be amazing, too! You are both lucky to have found one another. Or maybe it was fate.”
Alex raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Fate?”
“We know you’re not with anyone because you don’t think you deserve it, which is entirely wrong. But Riley isn’t with anyone either, and you two just happen to meet? The stars are in your favor, sweetheart.”
“I hope they stay that way.”
“It’s up to you two now. She loves you, you love her, now build a life.”
Alex quieted at that and dropped her head. “I haven’t told her, Liz.”
Liz walked over and stood in front of Alex. She tilted Alex’s chin up with her hand and said, “I see. Why haven’t you told her? She deserves to know, Alex.”
“I know she does. I took her to the park and planned to explain it all to her. Before I could, she grabbed my hands and told me she was staying. All I could feel when she said that was happiness. The past left my body like it had never happened. The next thing I knew I told her I was in love with her and she said it back. I cannot tell you how that felt, Liz. It’s like my fucked-up heart had been healed, and I was a whole person again. How in the hell am I supposed to tell her after that?” Alex said with tears in her eyes.
Liz wrapped her arms around Alex and held her close. “My sweet Alex. It will be okay, you have to trust Riley.” She loosened her hold and put her hands on Alex’s shoulders, looking her in the eyes, “You can’t expect to build a life with Riley if you can’t share your life with her.”
Alex nodded. “I know you’re right, but I think I’m more scared than ever now.”
“You had the courage to tell her you love her, and you’ll find the courage to tell her your story. You can work through this and find the words. I wish I could do it for you, but you have to do this for yourself and for Riley.”
Alex took a deep breath. “I will, Liz. I’ll find a way.”
“Good girl. You know I’m always here for you.”
“I do, and I’m thankful every day.”
June flew by and they found themselves in late July before they knew it; the bar was busy with vacationers, and Riley helped when needed. She and Alex had settled into a nice rhythm. In the mornings they biked or went for a run. One of their favorite things to do was paddle-boarding. Alex worked most nights, but Riley was always waiting when she came home. Whenever they had a lazy morning, they would have coffee on the rooftop deck and imagine where the boats in the harbor were going or coming from.
Riley found that she loved writing. She had dabbled in it from time to time in the past, but with more time she was able to hone her ability and use it for a job. Through Kara’s connections she found clients and wrote product descriptions or content for websites and could do it all online. She also was outlining the book she hoped to write. When she wasn’t writing her days were filled with exploring the surrounding community. The locals made her feel welcome, well, most of them. There were a few people, when they found out she lived with Alex, walked away. It was odd, she mentioned it to Liz once and she shrugged it off.
Riley had talked to her parents and told them she was staying and why. They were a little concerned because this was out of character for Riley, but she assured them that she was with good people in a good place and most of all that she was happy. Her brothers weren’t so sure, but their kids thought it was cool. As time passed and they met Alex through video visits, their reservations softened.
Alex told her sister all about Riley. This was the first time she had told her about anyone besides Liz and her coworkers. Her family was so happy she had found someone to spend time with other than the people at work. Her sister, Samantha, niece, Rosie, and her daughter, Sasha, were due for a visit and couldn’t wait to meet this woman that Alex was so smitten with.
Riley was just about finished with her morning writing session when her phone rang. She looked at the screen and saw it was Kara.
“Hey stranger, I thought you’d forgotten all about me,” Riley said answering.
“Not possible. I’ve been so freaking busy lately but, I’ve gotten your texts. What’s happening in paradise?”
“The sun is shining and I’m writing. Alex is at work.”
“How are you and Alex? Still love birds?”
“Of course. Her sister and her family are coming for a visit soon and I’m getting a little nervous.”
“They’ll love you.”
“I hope so.”
“Listen Ri, Sara called me today being rather mysterious.”
Riley felt her stomach fall and said, “Mysterious?”
“Yeah, she asked how you and Alex were doing. Then she said there was something in Alex’s past that you should be aware of. Has she told you anything?”
“No, nothing bad. What did she say it was?”
“That’s just it, she didn’t. She was going to call you but, saw how happy you both looked on social media and decided to call me instead.”
“We are happy. Did she say how she got the information?”
“No, she didn’t. But, let me ask you this, do you trust Alex?”
“Of course I do.”
“You know maybe she hasn’t told you because it’s in the past and you are her future.”
“She’s my future too. When I retired, I didn’t have any idea what would happen and it was scary. But with Alex, I have a purpose, every day is an adventure.”
“Maybe it hasn’t been the right time. Think about it, you’ve only been there a couple of months. I think you should wait her out.”
“I know there’s something because she gets this sadness in her eyes. I haven’t pushed her because I thought she’d tell me eventually. What could it be?”
“I don’t know, maybe you should ask her?”
“Ask her what? It’s funny Sara wouldn’t tell you what it was.”
“It is … but, bottom line, you trust Alex.”
“I do Kara. Maybe she’ll tell me when her family gets here.”
“Makes sense, if it’s her past her family would be involved.”
“Shit, I hate this.”
“Me too. You know, it can’t be anything too terrible because Liz and Mandy love her and so do the people on the island.”
Riley suddenly remembered the man that yelled at them on the bikes. “If she doesn’t tell me while her family is here, I’ll ask but, not before then. I don’t want to mess up this visit.”
“That sounds good. You know her a lot better than me, but Riley, if you trust her so do I.”
“Thanks. I’ll let you know what happens.”
“I love you, Riley.”
“Love you too.” Riley ended the call and felt very unsettled. Alex is a good person, she knew that, she trusted her, but something told her this might be a test of t
heir relationship.
One morning after swimming and paddling together they made their way back to Alex’s so she could get ready for work. “That was so much fun. You’re getting better and better on that paddleboard, babe,” Alex said.
“Thanks. I’ll admit I’ve been going some when you have to work in the afternoons.”
“Oh, so that’s how you are, sneaking around on me,” Alex said grabbing Riley playfully around the waist.
“I wasn’t exactly sneaking. If you look out the patio, you could see me.”
“Oh, I saw you all right. The hottest babe on the beach.”
Riley laughed. “Hardly, but thanks for saying that, baby. I know you get off early tonight, so I want to take you on a date. We’ve been so busy lately, and you’re so tired when you get in from work I thought it’d be nice.”
“A date? There’s no one else I’d rather go out with. I accept,” Alex said smiling.
“Well, we don’t really have to go out. I thought I’d cook, and we’d have dinner on the roof. We haven’t done that in ages.”
“That sounds even better. I can’t wait,” Alex said, giving Riley a quick kiss. “I’ve got to get in the shower so I can get to work and come back to you.”
Riley laughed. “You’d better hurry then.”
It had been a few days since her conversation with Kara. She played it over and over but still, she always came back to her trust in Alex. It was becoming harder not to say anything but, she was staying with her plan of waiting until after her family had been here. The day passed quickly, and Riley almost had everything ready for dinner when Alex came home.
“Wow, something smells delicious,” Alex said, coming into the kitchen area. Riley came out of the bedroom in a strappy dress that fell just above her knees. She had styled her hair and was wearing makeup.
“Get away from there. It’s not quite done,” Riley said walking toward Alex.
“Oh wow! Riley, you look beautiful,” Alex said softly. “Stay away, I smell terrible. Someone spilled beer all over me.”
“I will not stay away,” Riley said taking Alex’s face in her hands and kissing her softly. “I missed you today. You have time to shower before dinner is ready.”
“I’ll be fast,” Alex said walking to the bathroom. She stopped and turned looking at Riley. “You are the most beautiful woman.”
Riley smiled and winked. “Thank you. When you’re finished, meet me on the roof.”
While Alex was showering, Riley set everything up on the roof. It was a simple supper of grilled shrimp, pilaf, and mixed vegetables. She’d made a Key Lime pie for dessert. She lit candles, opened a bottle of wine, and started a playlist she’d made just for the night. There was a cool breeze as the sun made its journey over the water. Riley looked around and decided everything was perfect. While she waited for Alex, she couldn’t help but think she could get used to this. She didn’t know how, but she fell deeper in love with Alex every day. The community had welcomed her, and she felt like a local now, not a tourist.
Alex made her way up the steps and looked around, taking it all in. “Look at all this! Riley, this place never looked so good.”
“I’m glad you like it. I opened a bottle of wine, but you can have a beer instead if you want.”
“No, I’ll have wine with you.”
Riley poured them both a glass and said, “Let’s eat before it gets cold.”
Alex came over and pulled Riley’s chair out for her to sit. When she was seated, Alex placed a light kiss on her cheek. “Thanks for doing this,” Alex said as she took her seat.
“I wanted to spend a beautiful evening with the woman I love. No need to thank me,” Riley said serving them both.
While they were eating Alex said, “Sam called me this afternoon, and she and Rosie and Sasha will be here next week.”
“That’s wonderful,” Riley said nervously.
“What’s the matter, scared to meet the family? It’s not like you haven’t met them. I know it was on the computer but still you’ve chatted with them.”
“I know,” Riley said quietly.
“Babe,” Alex said taking her hand across the table. “They are going to love you just as much as I do. Please don’t worry.”
“I just want them to like me. It’s kind of a big deal, baby. When they’ve come to visit, you’ve never introduced them to a woman, much less one that’s living with you.”
“I get it, but I’m telling you Riley, they’ll love you. When they see how happy we are, how can they not like you?”
“Okay. What all do we need to do to get ready for them? They’re probably used to staying with you, so do I need to go somewhere else? Stay with Liz maybe?”
“Of course not! You’re not going anywhere. This is our home now; you belong here. They always stay at the hotel you and Kara stayed at because there’s a pool for Sasha.”
But Riley was still focused on the earlier part of Alex’s statement. “Our home?”
Alex smiled, squeezing her hand. “Yes, our home. This place never looked this good until you moved in. If you’ll remember, it was a bit minimal, to say the least. You’ve made it a home, our home.” Alex kissed the back of Riley’s hand and looked into her eyes with love. “Now, could we not talk about my family anymore tonight? I’m on a date with the most beautiful woman in the world,” Alex said smiling.
“There goes that charm of yours again. I thought we might dance a little and sit back and look at the stars,” Riley said.
Alex stood, took her hand, and said, “May I have this dance?”
Riley stood and put her arms around Alex’s neck. Alex pulled her close and kissed her softly on the neck. “Mm, this is so nice.”
“You took me on so many dates when you were showing me the islands that I wanted to do something special for you. I know it’s nothing like the places you took me, but I’m still learning my way around,” Riley said.
“This is perfect. I love it up here. It’s one of my favorite places along with our place at the park.”
“Good. I’ll make sure we do this more often.”
“You know what I really love?” said Alex.
“What?”
“I love waking up with you curled next to me or on me, always touching me.”
“It seems when you’re near I have to be touching you.”
Alex captured Riley’s lips with her own, turning up the heat. “Those stars will still be there tomorrow, so I was wondering how this date ends?” Alex said breathlessly.
“Well, I thought I’d take you downstairs and show you how much I love you,” Riley said.
“Hmm, that sounds like a perfect ending, but only if I get to show you the same.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged,” Riley said placing her hand on Alex’s cheek. Alex leaned her head into her hand.
“I love you, Alex. So very much,” Riley said kissing her softly. She grabbed Alex’s hand and pulled her to the stairs, saying over her shoulder, “Come on, we can clean this up later.”
Eight
Alex squeezed Riley’s hand and said, “Breathe.”
Her family’s plane had arrived, and they were waiting for them to get through security.
“I’m just so nervous, Alex. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Actually, I do. I want this to be the best visit ever for your sister and her family and I really hope they like me and think I’m good enough for you.”
“You’re rambling, darlin’. I’m the one that’s not good enough for you, and they will tell you that as soon as they get to know you. Breathe.”
Riley took a deep breath and held Alex’s hand tight.
“Aunt Alex!” a little toddler screamed and ran toward Alex.
Alex swept Sasha into her arms and held her tight. “You’ve gotten so big! How did you do that? Stop growing! Do you hear me? Stop growing!” Alex said as Sasha giggled.
“Hi, I’m Samantha,” Alex’s sister said, extending her hand to Riley.
Riley took
her hand and said, “It’s so nice to meet you in person.”
“Aunt Alex, she’s yours. Do you know how hard it is flying with a three-year-old?” Alex’s niece, Rosie, said lugging two overstuffed bags behind her. She walked up to Riley, dropped the bags, and hugged her. “Thank you so much for putting the sparkle back in my favorite aunt’s eyes.”
“I’m your favorite aunt because I’m your only aunt,” Alex said pulling Rosie into a hug while holding Sasha.
“Hi, Sis,” she said, handing Sasha to Rosie and hugging Samantha.
“Sasha, this is Riley,” Rosie said introducing the lively little girl.
“Hi Wiley, Aunt Alex’s gull-friend,” she said, nodding her head up and down to her mom.
“That’s right, Aunt Alex’s girlfriend,” Rosie emphasized. “She has a little trouble with her r’s,” she explained.
“Now that everyone has met, let’s get your bags and get out of here,” Alex said, tickling Sasha and putting her arm around Riley.
They picked up their luggage and headed for the ferry back to St. John. They made their way to the dock, and as they walked up to the ferry Alex grabbed Riley’s hand, smiling, and winked at her. Riley was still nervous, but the touch of Alex’s hand calmed her somewhat. She liked Alex’s family, and they seemed to like her already.
“Mommy,” Sasha said, pointing at the ferry. “Do we get to ride the big boat?”
“We sure do,” said Rosie. They made their way to the top so that they all could get the beautiful views on the way to St. John.
Samantha stood near Riley. “Like Alex, you came here and liked what you saw, I guess.”