While you were Sleeping

40. Epilogue

Three years later

"Val, move to your left a little. Good. Now turn your head and look out towards the sea." Juliana adjusted her lens before pressing down on the shutter release, capturing the beauty before her. The sun was sinking lower on the horizon, setting the sea ablaze. The scenic background of stepped houses with whitewashed walls, blue accents, and domed rooftops, were now bathed in warm, golden light. But for Juliana, the real beauty was her girlfriend. "Beautiful, Val. Now blow me a kiss," she prompted, laughing when Valentina arched an amused eyebrow before following the request.

Valentina was the perfect model, she had been a God send throughout Juliana's photography course, and the main subject of her entire portfolio.

Posing in a white crop top, and a light denim skirt, Valentina looked almost ethereal against the heavenly backdrop. Her long, flowing hair, dancing in the sea breeze, each strand morphing into threads of gold. She smiled sweetly as Juliana lowered the camera.

"Come on, beautiful." Valentina curled her index finger, a small seductive smile on her lips as she beckoned Juliana closer. "We need pictures of both of us."

Juliana playfully rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "Fine, but we need to get some video footage before the sun sets." She quickly secured her camera onto the tripod before linking the camera to an app on her phone.

Valentina wiggled her fingers, her arms outstretched, impatiently reaching for Juliana as she approached. "Welcome to Greece, baby!" She grinned excitedly as she pulled Juliana into her arms, her lips immediately finding Juliana's.

As Juliana relaxed into her girlfriend's embrace, her thumb repeatedly tapped against her phone screen, remotely capturing images of the moment. Kissing photographs in every town, city, and tourist spot they visited, had quickly become Juliana's favourite tradition.

She had captured many beautiful sights throughout Europe. The Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, and the Vatican had ranked high, but her favourite image, the one she couldn't wait to get home and frame, had been taken in King's Cross Station. The moment an ecstatic Valentina had grabbed hold of the cart, which was half embedded in the wall on its way to platform nine and three quarters, had been one of the highlights of their trip.

Immersing themselves in new cities, they enjoyed the sights and sounds while exploring windy roads and cobbled streets. They'd been travelling around Europe for a few months now, but Juliana much preferred the warmer climates in the Mediterranean to the cooler temperatures in the UK and Ireland.

"Mmm... okay, Val..." another kiss, "that's enough," she sighed dreamily as Valentina's lips chased her, drawing her in for another steamy kiss. "Val..." she laughed, "it's getting dark." Capturing Valentina's hands, Juliana spun her towards the camera. "Stop pouting! It's time to smile," she whispered, sliding her arm around Valentina's waist to hold her in place. "Come on, let's get this over with, the sun is setting and we still need to film."

"Wow Juls, you're so romantic! Fine, let's get it over with!" she laughed, her fingers effortlessly linking with Juliana's. "And then I can get you back to the hotel!" she purred.

Juliana couldn't contain her grin, nor the heat that spread throughout her entire body. It was only day two of their little Greek odyssey but she sensed this would be a memorable destination.

*

"Val? Do you have my phone charger?" Juliana asked, the sounds of her rifling through her suitcase had already reached Valentina in the bathroom. "It's not in my bag."

"Try my backpack," Valentina called before continuing to brush her teeth. They had been out exploring the streets of Santorini all day but had returned to the hotel to shower before heading out again to enjoy their night.