by Finella Vane
They spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach. Niav ate the rest of her sandwich and crisps (with Anselle’s help) and by the time they were ready to leave the brunette was feeling much better. She even managed a short nap, lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves washing onto the shore. Back in the room they discussed what to do that evening. They’d see a movie at the theater in Ilfracombe but there was nothing out they wanted to see. They’d go to a pub but Niav still couldn’t drink because of the medication. They decided to grab an early bite, come back to the inn to watch the sunset then turn in early (maybe snuggled together on the bed while watching TV).
It’s a short drive to The Smuggler’s Rest in Mortehoe. The restaurant and bar was just off the main street. The interior of the small establishment looked like a stereotypical English pub except for the fact that it was brighter. The walls were painted a bright shade of yellow that contrasted dramatically with the dark wood tables, chairs, floors and bar. Black and white, framed photographs that showed the coastal region through the years lined the walls and held Anselle’s interest as they made their way around the restaurant looking for a table.
The table they found was in a cozy corner not too far from the fireplace. The instructions that came with the menu on the table told customers to note the table number then place their order at the bar. The couple perused the menu, Anselle noted the table number then went to the bar to order their dinner. Niav wanted the bangers and mash with onion gravy and peas (she was very disappointed that fish and chips wasn’t on the menu) and Anselle ordered the homemade steak, ale and mushroom pie with roasted potatoes and peas (Niav teased her about telling Gina that she’s ordered steak somewhere other than Gina’ steakhouse).
The restaurant wasn’t that busy and they were served rather quickly. A couple with a black lab on a lead came in and sat at the next table. The dog was very friendly and Niav was easily distracted from her meal. Anselle had to laugh at her child of a fiancé as she reminded her over and over again to eat her dinner. By the time the couple is done eating Niav was begging Anselle to let her get a dog.
“Niav, you know I hate saying ‘no’ to you when you give me that face but we can’t get a dog. Our place is too small. One of us would have to walk it and we’d have to find somebody to watch it if we wanted to go away.”
“We could get a small dog. I’m still going to work from home so I could watch it and walk it during the day and we could come here when we want to get away. They allow dogs here and I’m sure we could find other dog friendly places to go.”
“Niav, please. I’d rather not have a dog, at least right now. We just moved in together and I’d like it to just be you and me. Okay?”
“Okay, Anselle," Niav agreed but frowned anyway, "You’re right. How about a cat?”
“Niav.”
“Okay, okay,” Niav smiled, “No cat either. Goldfish? What about a hamster?”
“Niav.”
***
Later that night the two walked hand in hand on the beach to watch the sunset before retiring to bed to watch TV but ended up doing everything but that. Niav apologized for being so whiny and dramatic when she was seasick earlier and thanked Anselle for taking care of her. Anselle said it was no bother at all but as Niav’s kisses and touches reached below Anselle’s hips the brunette was forgiven entirely.
***
When Anselle and Niav went down for breakfast the next morning they were actually surprised to see another couple in the dining room before them. The girl was older than they were with a receding hairline and a large waistline. She was dressed rather formally for being on holiday at the seaside; pressed trousers, shirt buttoned up all the way with a tie tight around her neck and a suit jacket draped over the back of the chair. The woman was younger, maybe a daughter Anselle guessed; red hair stylishly cut, floral print dress which hung past her knees, sensible shoes and no make-up on her plain face. They ignored Anselle when she said ‘hello’ as she passed their table. The girl leaned over the table and talked in whispers while casting decidedly unfriendly glances at the two women at the table by the window. The woman looked so uncomfortable Anselle thought she was going to run out of the room any moment.
Anselle and Niav tried the best they could to ignore the couple but a tension grew in the room. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, Anselle turned to the couple, “Can I help you with something?”
The girl spoke up, “We didn’t think they allowed people like you here.”
Niav flinched at the term 'people like you'.
“People like me?” Anselle asked, “People from New Zealand?” She knew exactly what the girl meant but she decided to play for a while.
The girl rolled her eyes and smirked, “No, that’s not what I meant.”
“Oh, you mean,” Anselle pointed at Niav, “people from Ireland.”
“No,” the girl said, “I mean you gays.”
Niav didn’t want to hear Anselle get into a verbal sparring match with the girl, “Let’s go somewhere else for breakfast.”
“No, Matt. Why should we? We paid our money just like they did. If Jeremiah didn’t want us here she wouldn’t have taken my reservation or she would ask us to leave. If they don’t like it they can go someplace else.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” the girl snapped.
“I don’t really care,” Anselle snapped back.
Jeremiah entered the dining room with the other couple’s breakfast. Anselle heard the girl tell Jeremiah that if her inn was the kind of place where ‘those people’ were accepted then she wouldn’t be staying there anymore. Anselle wanted to laugh out loud when she heard Jeremiah reply, “Okay”. Put in her place, the girl didn’t have anything else to say. The innkeeper gave Anselle a wink as she took Anselle’s breakfast order; a ham and cheese omelet with white toast and coffee. Niav requested French toast with bacon and tea.
The other couple ate their meal quickly and left but not before the woman caught Anselle’s eye and mouthed ‘I’m sorry’. Anselle only nodded in response.
“That girl reminds me of my dad,” Niav said softly as she gazed out the window. “I told you, yeah?”
“Yeah, you told me. I’m sorry.”
“Anselle?”
“Yes, Love.”
“You’re so lucky to have parents that accept you and understand.”
“Maybe someday your parents will come around.”
“I doubt it. My mum won’t go against what dad says.” Niav glanced back out the window and appeared lost in thought, “Anselle?”
“Yes, Love.”
“Maybe we could go to New Zealand for our honeymoon.”
“Really, you’d do that for me?” Anselle had thought about it but didn’t think it would make a good honeymoon spot and didn’t want to press it in case Niav wasn’t able to make such a trip due to her disorder.
“You know I’d do anything for you,” Niav took Anselle’s hand across the table, “and I’d get to meet your parents. We could stay with them for a few days, if they want us too and then go someplace else to see some of the sites.”
Anselle sniffled back a tear, “That would be wonderful. My mom already loves you. She was so excited when I told her I was going to propose and when I told her you said ‘yes’ she cried.”
“Her baby is getting married." Niav hiccupped as she rubbed her eye with the heel of her hand, "I miss my mum, I wish she could meet you and be happy for us. I know she’d love you.”
“I think we should send her an engagement announcement and an invitation to the wedding anyway. You never know. Maybe she’ll come.”
Niav shrugged and went back to looking out the window to try and keep the tears from falling.
Anselle understood that Niav and her mom were very close while Niav was growing up though she still didn’t know why her parents kept her as physically close as they did. She also knew that Niav hadn’t seen or spoken to her mother in over three years. She couldn’t imagine what that would be like. Anselle
owed everything she had become to her parents. If her parents hadn’t supported her dream to go to school in London she didn’t know where she’d be. Anselle stood, stepped around the table and put her arm around her love’s shoulder. Niav threw her arms around Anselle and buried her head in Anselle’s middle as she cried.
***
After breakfast they headed to the ceramics shop to pick-up their fired items. Anselle loved her lighthouse and Niav couldn’t wait to show her starfish to ‘Spike’. That day they had decided to go to The Valley of Rocks near the village of Lynton. They thought about going on a bicycle tour but not having been on a cycle in years and not sure how much certain intimate parts of their bodies would hurt afterwards (and liking to have more holiday sex) they decided against it. Lundy Island was also an option but that would mean that Niav would have to get back on a boat and neither of them wanted a repeat of yesterday.
Their walk began at the Lynton station then they made their way up the gentle slope of Church Hill and Lee Road. When they passed St Mary the Virgin Church they took a short detour around the churchyard and graveyard (respectfully keeping to the path). Anselle took photos of the 13th Century tower and the rest of the church’s architecture including the stained glass windows. They didn’t enter the church but Anselle took one last photo of Niav in front of the Thomas Baker Memorial.
Hand in hand they walked down North Walk Hill then crossed the bridge over the railway to join North Walk. Soon they passed through a wooden gate and entered the area where the feral goats lived. Anselle challenged Niav to a contest to see who can locate and photograph the most goats; the loser of the friendly competition had to buy lunch. They spotted black and white ones, some with patches of red, some with horns, small ones probably only a few months old eating the grass or climbing on the rocks and large goats resting on the rocks or grass. By the time they were out of the area Anselle only had twenty pictures and Niav only twenty-two though there are supposed to be one hundred or so goats in the area.
Half a mile away from the goats Castle Rock appeared in the distance and they entered the Valley of Rocks. The views over the Bristol Channel were breathtaking; they could see out to sea for miles. There were a few fishing boats full of tourists heading out and the ship they were on yesterday, the Ilfracombe Princess, passed by on her way toward Woolacombe. There was one spot that looked like it overhung the cliff edge and Anselle wanted a picture of Niav standing on it but the woman refused. She reminded Anselle that she couldn’t even go out onto her own balcony and there was no way in hell she’d ever stand by the edge of a cliff. She didn’t want her fiancé to stand there either and as she watched Anselle approach the edge she felt the beginnings of an attack. The artist turned her back to the view, closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She felt her partner’s arms around her in support. Anselle let Niav work through the symptoms on her own except for her light embrace.
When Niav’s breathing returned to normal Anselle apologized, “Sorry, Love, I forgot. I mean I haven’t forgotten it’s just that these last few days have been so wonderful….”
“I know. This week has been really great so far. I don’t want this to spoil it though and if you want your picture taken out there just have someone else do it, please. I’ll be over there.” Niav turned her back again and walked a few feet away while Anselle asked another tourist to snap her picture on the cliff edge.
Once through the valley they turned left past a few car parks to find the café and the picnic area. They weren't hungry enough for lunch at the café but they did use the public toilets and sat a bit in the picnic area. Sufficiently rested they started their return walk past Chimney Rock and Rugged Jack onto the Coast Path back to Lynton.
On the way back to the B&B Anselle spotted The Boardwalk Bar and Restaurant and pulled into the car park. The restaurant was bright and open though the bar was separated from the main dining hall by a half wall. Large windows along the back and side walls let in the intense late summer sun light. The outdoor seating area was full but they were lucky enough to find a seat by one of the side wall windows overlooking the terrace.
While looking over the menu Anselle remarked, “I’m eating too well on this trip. I’m going to have to go on a diet when we get back.”
Niav didn’t look up from her menu, she couldn't believe the place didn't serve fish and chips either, as she responded, “You’re fine, Anselle. There’s just more of you to love now.”
Anselle gaped at her partner, “You think I’m fat?”
“Not at all,” Niav replied, face still buried in her menu (fish and chips must be on it somewhere), “You’re pleasantly plump.”
“I was hoping you’d disagree with me,” Anselle's frown was epic.
The brunette finally looked up when she heard the attitude in her partner's voice, “You’re fine Anselle. You don’t look any different from when we met. You’re still the same gorgeous, sexy, blue-eyed, blonde I fell in love with. But,” she added, “I can pack salads for your lunch instead of sandwiches for a few weeks if you want.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Anselle winked, “but I’ll let you know about the salads.” Even though she felt like she gained weight it didn’t stop her from ordering a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato and onions and a side of chips. In her head she evened out the calories by ordering a large, diet coke.
Niav shook her head at Anselle’s order and requested the seafood linguini and a diet coke for herself.
When they’re done eating Anselle winked at her partner and suggested returning to the inn for a little ‘lie down’.
***
Still cuddled on the bed hours later Niav had an idea, “Anselle?”
“Yes, Love.”
“Let’s stay here forever.”
“Forever?” for a moment it sounded like a very appealing idea to Anselle until reality set in, “that’s a long time but it would be a hell of a daily commute for me unless you want me to stay in the flat during the week and come home to you on the weekend.”
“No, I wouldn’t like that,” Niav frowned, “but can we come back again for another holiday?”
“Sure. I’d like that very much.” Anselle patted Niav on the bum, “Let’s go grab something to eat. We’ll borrow some blankets from the gazebo and have a picnic on the beach and watch the sun set.”
It was a short drive to Woolacombe Fryer for the fish and chips Niav had been craving. They also got small servings of mushy peas, diet cokes and a cheese and onion pasty to share. When they got back to the B&B they stopped by the gazebo for the blankets before heading down to the beach. They spread one blanket out on the sand to sit on and the other they put off to the side so they could use it to snuggle under if they got chilly; which they did as the sun slowly sank below the horizon.
CHAPTER THIRTY
At breakfast on their final morning in Woolacombe they didn’t bump into the couple from the day before and for that Niav was very thankful. Jeremiah had made a special breakfast of Belgian waffles (made with her rarely used waffle maker), scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and coffee for Anselle and tea for Niav. The special breakfast made Niav feel especially good about giving Jeremiah the signed sketch of the surfers. Jeremiah said she loved it and promised to have it framed and hung in the sitting room where they could see it when they came to visit again.
Jeremiah stood at the front door and waved good-bye to the couple as they drove away. They were not happy to be leaving after the great time they had but they had purchased a lot of souvenirs, kept their brochures and would put the pictures they took into an album so they could remember their first holiday together.
The weather on their holiday had been perfect, not too hot or too cold, until they arrived in Bristol. The sky went dark and the rain poured down just as Anselle found a parking spot three blocks from where they were staying, The Bristol Marriott City Centre. They sat in the car for a good half hour (neither girl thought to bring an umbrella) hoping that the rain would stop but it didn’t
. Anselle decided to see if she could get a closer spot but she couldn’t and when she returned to the original spot someone else has already parked there. The next spot she found was five blocks away from the hotel. The blonde wanted to keep driving around to see if she could get closer but she was afraid she’d only wind up farther away.
They would make a dash for it but Anselle didn’t want the cameras to get wet and there was no way she was going to leave them in the car unattended. After weighing their options they agreed that Anselle would drop Niav off at the hotel with the cameras then find a place to park, hopefully close by, and make a run for it using Niav’s jacket as a shield from the rain.
After dropping Niav off Anselle got lucky when she spotted someone getting into their car a block from the hotel. She maneuvered the car easily into the newly vacant spot, arranged Niav’s jacket over her head, opened the car door, stepped out into the rain, pressed the remote lock and dashed up the street to the hotel. Anselle found her partner pacing nervously in the lobby, “Alright?” Anselle took the jacket from off her head and shook it, sending water droplets flying in all directions.
Niav leaned away from the water spray, “Yeah, now. That was fast.”
“Got lucky with a spot up the block.”
Niav didn’t respond only slumped her shoulders causing Anselle to ask again, “Alright?”
“Just need to sit for a moment. I feel so tired all of a sudden. It’s just that I didn’t think it would happen so soon.”
Anselle knelt on the cold, marble floor resting her hands on Niav’s thighs, “Didn’t think what would happen so soon?”
“We need to find a drugstore.”
“Why? Why do we need to find a drug store?” Anselle was on the verge of hysteria, “Baby, what’s wrong?”
Niav hung her head and placed her hands on top of Anselle’s, “I knocked my pill bottle off the sink and into the toilet this morning. The top must not have been on right and they all spilled out.”