Get It Straight, Or Say Good Night

Tahiti (sand and see, the sea)

At that stage in the game, the boys and Lou had hardly been anywhere out of England, and never to anywhere that was so tropical. It was incredible; a smooth lagoon with the island in the background, with mountains and coconut palms.

Five or six Tahitians were paddling an outrigger canoe, gliding across the calm sea.

Blissing out on the scene Louise hugged her knees to herself as she sat on the beach, only a feet away from the door of their little hut.

John was still asleep, he often slept in when he had nowhere to be, no one to see, no ticking clock to have a song ready or Brian pushing him to attend some interview or rehearsal.

Lou had watched the sun rise shuffling vibrant oranges and pinks over the sea, like the hibiscus flowers that grew by the sand it was so dazzlingly vivid and made her feel tiny in comparison to Mother Nature's powers and beauty.

Evie giggled and Lou turned to look toward her daughter tottering through the sand, hands clasped with Johns, eyes wide, inquisitive, so cute, so lovely.

"Good morning Evie, Johnny!"

"Good morning mummy" John plonked down in the soft white sand and left Evie to squat between them, touching the sand, picking it up, throwing it..

"Evie no sweetie" Lou patted the sand and sang 'Patty cake, patty cake' making a game of flattening the sand, John pulling a few wisps of hair behind Lou's ear as she looked up with happiness "Thank-you for getting her ready for the beach"

"You're welcome. How long have you been up then?" John knew she was a morning person it was Lou who instigated any bedroom capers in the AM hours and that usually meant her on top too. "You didn't wake me......"

"You looked so peaceful sucking your thumb, I couldn't bear to" Lou teased as Evie sat in the sand. Drawing with her fingers, Lou unseeingly made shapes for Eve's entertainment plus love hearts and such as she watched John grimace then grin at her teasing. "Tomorrow Winnie ...... I promise I'll wake you with a bang"

"Promise?"

"Ahuh, you won't know what hit ya" Lou leaned over and kissed her promise to his lips and sighed with the tranquillity of the surroundings, watching the gorgeous ocean lap the shore, the sand gobble the water to saturation then as the waters recede the sand becoming compact, almost dry again. "I'm starving and I want to hike the hill and swim and run and –"

"I should go back to bed you're making me tired thinking about it"

"Oh no you don't you can swim or wallow and I'll practice cartwheels in the sand" Louis stood and bent to pick a grumbly baby up, who definitely did not want to leave her makeshift sandy breakfast. "Come on sweets let's have a yellow banana, sand is yucky for Evie's tum tum"

"I need the camera for that gymnastic workout of yours, Louise"

"What happens in paradise stays in paradise, Winnie"

"We'll see May-bel"

***

"Way to go Louise!!!" John grinned from his spot wallowing in the shallows with Evie as Louie managed a cartwheel then completed another in quick succession "Come take bub I have sand in my unmentionables"

Running into the water splashing everywhere Louise found more vim and energy than she ever seemed to have back home, grasping Eve she followed John into the waist deep lagoon and watched him strip, shake and scratch his way back into his swim shorts. "Just leave them off stud muffin" Lou grinned as she closed in on John with a wicked glint in her eye, there wasn't too much to do with Evie on her hip but she could kiss and hug him with one arm as John embraced her. They were alone, isolated and one - away from the noise, screams, appointments and promises, just them together it was wonderful and they kissed like there wouldn't be a tomorrow.