Opening Up

Ten Years

The Nantucket waves lap against the sand. It's autumn in Massachusetts. Jack and Jackie walk along the shore like, their fingers interlocked. Two grief-stricken silhouettes moping against a blurry sunset.

Jack stops to soak in the scene before him, letting the cool waves dampen his cuffed khakis.

The sun's retreating rays cast golden flecks of light on the navy ripples of vast ocean. Jack takes in the lines of nature. A straight, clean horizon line, contrasted with the hazy curves of orange and yellow that swept the gray sky. He realizes that ten years before, he would have never taken notice of such things. But Jackie taught him to see the world as art.

Jackie had changed him; given him a deeper respect to the often overlooked. It wasn't until these past months that he had come to realize how profound her effect on him was. After all, he was a father because of Jackie; something that had enriched his life beyond belief.

The thought of fatherhood brings him back to a vision that's been haunting him since the loss. A vision so real it felt like a memory. It was a vision of Jackie giving birth to their late boy. Blood, fluid, and piercing screams overtake the scene. If only he had been there.

While Jack remains fixed on the sunset, his mind adrift, Jackie watches her husband intently. After several minutes of silence, she sees his eyes begin to gloss over.

She squeezes his hand."Penny for your thoughts?" She asks, softly caressing the back of his neck with her fingertips.

He blinks hard and clears his throat. "They're no good." He replies.

Jackie looks down at her sandy feet and nods. She knows what's on his mind.

"He's up there somewhere." Jackie says, gazing out at the fading sky. "I know he is."

Jacks looks down at her. Her hair free in the wind, droplets of saltwater making her dewy. God, how he loved this women.

He pulls her head to his chest and kisses her hair. "Can you believe it'll be ten years in just a couple of days?" He muses, changing the subject.

"No." She takes a deep breath and gingerly snakes her arms around his abdomen. "It feels like yesterday you were taking me out on your cute little sailboat for the first time."

Jack chuckles. A comfortable silence falls over them.

"Thank you, Jackie."

"You're welcome."

"I mean for everything."

"I know."

.....................................................

"I'd like to propose a toast!" Bobby chimes as he taps
his spoon against his champagne class.

In Hammersmith, Bobby rises to serenade the couple, just as he did 10 years earlier.

"Tonight we are celebrating the 10 year union of the most powerful couple in the Western Hemisphere. One is the most revered, respected, and loved person in the nation, and the other is my brother, Jack."

The dinner table erupted in roaring laughter.

"No, but seriously," Bobby grins. "I can't think of two people who have packed more into ten years than you have. You inspire us. Here's to the next ten." He lifts his glass "To Jack and Jackie!"

"To Jack and Jackie!" The table echoes.

You inspire us? Jackie can't help but giggle into her glass of champagne. Inspirational is probably he last word she'd use to describe her marriage over the past 10 years.