12:07pm
I've never been to the beach before.
I always imagined it.
The sand, the ocean, the seashells, the barely clothed humans, the scary crabs and the possibilty of a shark washing onshore. I've never thought too positively about the beach.
Hell, I've never thought positively about anything before Mark came into my life.
Though, I must say, the ocean is beautiful.
It crashes against the shore of the beach. The deep hue of blue is mesmerizing. As if someone dropped blue food coloring into the clear ocean.
To top it off, Mark dances hilariously in the water and plays with a little girl.
The little girl has a blast with Mark and I know he's just as happy.
Soon, he drags me into his nonsense and two grown men begin to play with a seven year-old.
"Mommy! The old men were so fun!" The little girl exclaims to her mother.
"Were they?!" The woman in a red one peice bathing suit chuckles at her little girl. "Thank you for playing with her."
"No problem." Mark smiles. He fixes his sun hat as the wind makes his white jacket flutter.
The mother and daughter walk away holding each other's hands.
"We are old men, Jackson." Mark laughs.
"Old and crusty." I joke. Mark smacks my arm.
"Who's crusty?!" He laughs as I run away.
We end up playing in the water and the sand. Splashing water onto each other and rolling from laughter in the hot sand.
The beach is actually really fun.
"Did you have fun today?" Mark rubs his hair dry with a white towel. He just finished taking a shower.
"Today was awesome." I smile as today's events refold into my mind.
A breathtaking smile warms Mark's face. A beauty as always.
It was fun at the beach. Our weekend vacation. Now, we're in the hotel room dressed in a traditional hanbok for a dinner the hotel organized themselves.
Mark removes his towel from his hair. That's when I realize something.
I get up from the couch and make my way to Mark, who's standing in front of the mirror.
I stand behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. It feels slimmer than the last time I held him. He smiles at me through the mirror as he rests his hands on top of mine.
"Look at us." Mark speaks first.
I look into the mirror to admire our position. Mark has on a red and white hanbok while I have on a blue and black hanbok. It's like he's a red gem in my arms. We look perfect in each other's arms.
My eyes drift to his hair. His once blond roots are beginning to turn black.
"I'm almost there, Jackson." Mark speaks softly.
"What do you mean?"
"When my hair changes back to its natural color, that means my medicine is failing." Mark turns around and faces me.
"Your natural hair color is black?" My voice trembles.
Mark nods his head.
Blond hair, brown hair. All mutations from his medicines? How strong are his dosages?
Even though my mind is telling me plenty of negative things, Mark doesn't need that negativity. So, I tell him something that I feel from the bottom of my heart.
"We still have plenty of time." I smile sweetly.
Mark sighs in relief.
"Yes we do."
We embrace each other.
"Let's go eat dinner." I propose.
"Let us eat!" Mark impersonates a king.
And once again, we share a laugh.
I'm always laughing with Mark. And I always will laugh with Mark.
Forever.
