What should have been 8

Chapter Twelve

The night passes in a blur of pain and memories, Isidors gentle whispers and touches are the only things keeping me tethered to the world. By the time the sun began to peek through the curtains, I was exhausted but the pain had subsided. Isidor was asleep, his arms still wrapped around me, his face relaxed and peaceful.

I carefully extricated myself from his embrace, not wanting to wake him. I walked to the bathroom, the cold tiles a stark contrast to the warmth of the bed. I splashed cold water on my face, the harshness bringing me back to reality. The reflection in the mirror was haggard, dark circles under my eyes, and my skin looked paler than usual. I sighed and took a deep breath, trying to gather myself.

As I stumbled back into the bedroom, the smell of coffee filled the air. Isidor must have made some while I was in the bathroom. He was sitting in the kitchen leaning on the counter with a warm cup in his hand. "Hey," he said softly.

"You didn't have to," I murmured, sitting on one of the stools that sat next to the island across from him.

"I know, but I wanted to," he replied, handing me a steaming mug. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," I lied, taking a sip of the coffee. It was bitter but it helped to clear my head.

We sat in silence for a few moments, the only sound being the occasional sip from our mugs.

"It's nice that he gave us the day off," Isidors voice broke the silence, "We can use it to relax, maybe do something fun."

"Yeah," I agreed, the thought of doing something other than the usual mafia business was appealing. "What do you have in mind?"

Isidors eyes lit up, "How about we go to the beach? It's a bit of a drive but it'll be worth it."

"Sure, I haven't been to the beach in," I paused thinking of the last time I had gone to the water. "Three years?"

Isidors eyes widened, "That long?"

"Yeah, Eliz hated the beach." I laughed lightly at the memory, "But I guess it's time to make new memories."

Isidors smile was small but it was there, "Good, it'll be just us two then."

We packed a small bag with swimsuits, towels, and snacks before heading out. The ride to the beach was quiet, the hum of the engine the only noise in the early morning air. When we arrived, the sun was just beginning to kiss the horizon, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange. The sand was cool under our feet as we made our way to a secluded spot, far from the early bird tourists.

We spread out our towels and sat down, watching the waves crash against the shore. The sound was calming, almost hypnotic. We got some weird stares from people, two men with large weird tattoos on their body that looked like gang symbols sitting with their hands intertwined. Okay, maybe it was a little weird.

Isidors hand was warm in mine, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand. I felt a small spark of happiness, a rare thing these days.

"Thanks for bringing me here," I said, my voice low so it wouldn't carry over the sound of the waves.

He squeezed my hand gently. "You're welcome."

We sat there for a while longer, just watching the waves, until I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up, my legs feeling wobbly. "I'm going to take a swim."

"I'll come with you."

We both walked towards the water, the waves crashing against our ankles. The water was cold, but it felt good against my burning skin. We swam into the deeper end where neither of us could touch the bottom.