Divine Affinity

1

1990

San Diego

The ocean was quiet, calm. The sound of the waves was soothing. Some surfers could still be seen lying on the surfboards, most of them acquaintances, waiting for the perfect wave to ride. The day was ending but it was still so warm and sunny. The soft breeze that blew from the sea was warm and salty. It smelled wonderfully. The sea had an incredible healing smell. The sky was adorned with magnificent tones of orange as the sun was starting to approach the water. Golden rays floated and mixed with the blue of the ocean. The sand was gentle, golden, and warm. They loved that beach. They'd come there almost every day even if it wasn't to surf. Sometimes, they'd even surf on rainy days. It was their favorite spot in the entire world, not that they had ever been out of the United States though. They were by the shore with their surf boards resting by their side. They had come out of the water maybe half an hour ago. Their hair still soaked in salty water though their body was already dry. Eiry looked at him by the corner of her eye. His curly locks falling down the tanned skin of his back. He had his eyes on the horizon, arms resting in his knees, his hands hanging. He seemed so far away that moment that she didn't venture to say anything. Then, as if feeling she was watching him, he turned his face to her and his ocean blue eyes looked deeply in her almond ones.

"Hey..." He smiled his sweet smile, making her melt, sweeping the sand off under her and leaving her floating. Butterflies in her stomach. Heart racing.

"What are you going to do?" She whispered, feeling a lump in her throat that was forbidding her to swallow or breathe properly.

"I don't know..." He shrugged.

There was silence next. His eyes didn't leave hers as if searching for an answer. He had received a tape with some music. Some musicians in Seattle invited him to sing on their demos and he had loved it. He even had some ideas for the melodies, lyrics he had written while Eiry was sleeping in the bed they shared for two years now. She was only twenty when they met and they connected immediately and he fell head over heels for her. Luckily, the feeling was mutual. He would never guess why a girl like her would even look at a guy him, a guy without anything to offer but himself... yet Eiry and him became inseparable. It turned out he learned quite fast that he was enough for her. He didn't have to be anything else but him.

"It's always been your dream." She told him, pulling her straight silken light brown hair back. "The music is good. I think it's the best music that has been offered to you..."

"It's in Seattle, Eiry!" Eddie claimed and looked away. His eyes set on the horizon again. "What are we going to do?" He threw a shell away. "You're in college here..."

They did not share just the passion for surfing, They also shared the passion for music, only in different forms. He dreamed of being in a successful band and she dreamed of being in a prestige music magazine. Eiry studied journalism in college and worked part-time in a supermarket to help with the expenses of the small apartment they started sharing after dating for just six months. Everything happened quickly for them, but two years later nothing seemed to have been rushed. She was everything to him. She was his perfect wave, his entire ocean. Eiry supported him. She understood him. She knew him inside out. He had told her things, private intimate things, that he hasn't told anyone because he trusted her that much. He knew she would never judge him or question his honesty. Eiry was his rock and he was hers.

"We should go home." Eiry got up and Eddie shook his head.

"We need to talk." He looked up at her. "Eiry, we need to talk about this... I am not doing anything without talking to you and hear you..."

"But we can talk at home. Come on..." Eiry extended her hand at him and their palms united. Eddie stood and then pulled her to him, gluing their bodies as he did so.