“Scott, would you please stop ignoring me?! I don’t understand what I’ve done.” Samantha whined. “Yesterday was a great day! We laughed, snuggled and enjoyed the beach, went for our ‘sunset dip’. What has changed between yesterday and today?” She was sounding desperate now, but she didn’t care. In her mind things were starting to get better. Normal, really.
Things had been so rough this last year; Scott had lost his job, started drinking a lot, and things snowballed from there. This weekend at the beach was their starting over point. A gift from her folks, a chance to get away from everything, rekindle some sparks maybe.
Samantha moved from the kitchen counter to where Scott sat at the table. The deep red table runner was a drastic contrast to his pale, freckled arms. Oh, how she loved those arms. So strong, muscular with the lightest of hair. She stroked his bare skin, trying to gain his attention.
Scott snapped his head to the left, swiping at his shoulder where her hand had been as if flinging an annoying fly. Stung, Samantha quickly stumbled back, but said nothing. Instead she swallowed her accusing words and fled from the room and out to the balcony, not bothering to shut the door.
She looked back and saw the shocked look on Scott’s face. “Good,” she thought. Maybe now he’ll realize that I’m done being his door mat.” She’d never run out in anger before. Sure, she’d ran to the bathroom, or her bedroom, but she’d never left like this.
Hot, salty tears mixed with the windblown sand and sea water mist. She stumbled clumsily down the steps. She nearly ran right over a toddler building a sand castle in her haste. The child paid her no mind.
Samantha thought this weekend would be it. This would be the one where Scott would tell her how sorry he was for everything. That he loved her more than ever, would be excited about finally starting a family. She just didn’t understand what had happened, and he certainly wasn’t speaking.
She came to a stop at the ocean’s edge. “Breathe.” She said out loud to herself. Not caring if the beachcombers next to her heard or not, although they seemed to not even notice her. Finally catching her breath, she began to feel the lapping ocean water lick at her shins. The sand underneath her feet gave way a little as the tide went back out. Amazing, she thought. The ocean seemed to be erasing her fears, her anger at Scott’s sudden change of mood. As if sensing her need for encouragement, the baby moved in it’s temporary home. “Everything will be fine,” she said to no one again. She lightly touched her blossoming belly.
She wiped at the tears on her rosy cheeks. Looking out over the crystal blue water, with its white waves, she watched the last of the surfers roll in for the day. She figured she had enough time for a quick swim. The sun still warmed the air, even as it began to turn the sky orange with it’s setting.
Hopefully when she came back, Scott would be restored to his previous good mood and they could get on with their celebrating.
As the cool water hit her thighs, then her hips, she dove into the refreshing sea, letting the liquid wash over her. For a spell, she moved with the waves. Flipping on her back the ocean carried her with it. She marveled at the sky, the beauty that was all around her. “I could stay like this forever,” she thought. She rolled over just in time to see a large wall of water coming for her. She tried to ready herself, but the wave crashed too soon, pulling her under the crystal blue.
Scott sat at the kitchen table stunned. For how long, he couldn’t tell. One minute he was the happiest man on the earth, the next, his world torn apart, he was as low as he’d ever been. He was heart broken. He tried to save her. They had just gone for a sunset dip. “Oh, God. Why?” He asked, both his wife and unborn child. Gone. Just like that. He felt something on his arm, thought he’d heard his name. Startled he snapped his head to the left and brushed his hand on his arm as if there were an annoying fly pestering him. Moments later, the door to the balcony slid opened as if someone had walked out.
Things had been so rough this last year; Scott had lost his job, started drinking a lot, and things snowballed from there. This weekend at the beach was their starting over point. A gift from her folks, a chance to get away from everything, rekindle some sparks maybe.
Samantha moved from the kitchen counter to where Scott sat at the table. The deep red table runner was a drastic contrast to his pale, freckled arms. Oh, how she loved those arms. So strong, muscular with the lightest of hair. She stroked his bare skin, trying to gain his attention.
Scott snapped his head to the left, swiping at his shoulder where her hand had been as if flinging an annoying fly. Stung, Samantha quickly stumbled back, but said nothing. Instead she swallowed her accusing words and fled from the room and out to the balcony, not bothering to shut the door.
She looked back and saw the shocked look on Scott’s face. “Good,” she thought. Maybe now he’ll realize that I’m done being his door mat.” She’d never run out in anger before. Sure, she’d ran to the bathroom, or her bedroom, but she’d never left like this.
Hot, salty tears mixed with the windblown sand and sea water mist. She stumbled clumsily down the steps. She nearly ran right over a toddler building a sand castle in her haste. The child paid her no mind.
Samantha thought this weekend would be it. This would be the one where Scott would tell her how sorry he was for everything. That he loved her more than ever, would be excited about finally starting a family. She just didn’t understand what had happened, and he certainly wasn’t speaking.
She came to a stop at the ocean’s edge. “Breathe.” She said out loud to herself. Not caring if the beachcombers next to her heard or not, although they seemed to not even notice her. Finally catching her breath, she began to feel the lapping ocean water lick at her shins. The sand underneath her feet gave way a little as the tide went back out. Amazing, she thought. The ocean seemed to be erasing her fears, her anger at Scott’s sudden change of mood. As if sensing her need for encouragement, the baby moved in it’s temporary home. “Everything will be fine,” she said to no one again. She lightly touched her blossoming belly.
She wiped at the tears on her rosy cheeks. Looking out over the crystal blue water, with its white waves, she watched the last of the surfers roll in for the day. She figured she had enough time for a quick swim. The sun still warmed the air, even as it began to turn the sky orange with it’s setting.
Hopefully when she came back, Scott would be restored to his previous good mood and they could get on with their celebrating.
As the cool water hit her thighs, then her hips, she dove into the refreshing sea, letting the liquid wash over her. For a spell, she moved with the waves. Flipping on her back the ocean carried her with it. She marveled at the sky, the beauty that was all around her. “I could stay like this forever,” she thought. She rolled over just in time to see a large wall of water coming for her. She tried to ready herself, but the wave crashed too soon, pulling her under the crystal blue.
Scott sat at the kitchen table stunned. For how long, he couldn’t tell. One minute he was the happiest man on the earth, the next, his world torn apart, he was as low as he’d ever been. He was heart broken. He tried to save her. They had just gone for a sunset dip. “Oh, God. Why?” He asked, both his wife and unborn child. Gone. Just like that. He felt something on his arm, thought he’d heard his name. Startled he snapped his head to the left and brushed his hand on his arm as if there were an annoying fly pestering him. Moments later, the door to the balcony slid opened as if someone had walked out.
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