Redemption

Chapter XIV

They went to the shower together, where the water only erased the evidence of their union from their bodies. After filling the bathtub, they sat down with her back against his chest, and his arms around her waist. He forgot past and future pains and closed his eyes while keeping a soft smile over his lips. But even with the protection of his arms, she felt her whole body sinking and began to drown in a cold sea of melancholy, as she missed the moment even before it was over. She slowly turned around and placed her palms over his chest before leaning forward to kiss him. Through her lips, he caught the sadness that invaded her, and at that moment, he longed for a life with her.

After helping each other get dressed, he suggested to her to cook lunch together instead of ordering food, and with a wide smile, she eagerly nodded her head and took his hand guiding him to the kitchen. He declined her help attempting to make something special for her, but not knowing how to cook he burnt the food, and the room filled with smoke and laughter. She opened the windows to let the smoke out, and he caught up to her and took her in his arms, raising her in the air. After lowering her on the floor, he playfully hummed a song that they danced until their hunger forced them to stop.

By the early afternoon, he asked her if she could read to him, and when she asked him what he wanted to listen to, he answered by saying "Anything, all I want is to listen to your voice." Therefore, after she grabbed her favorite book, they went to the backyard and laid on the hammock, where he kept his left foot out to gently push them from side to side, mimicking the touch of the summer breeze. He lost concentration on her narration as the intense feeling of longing returned. He thought about how he wished to spend his last day with her, to create a good memory that could somehow compensate for the lost life he could have had with her. The long-lost innocence awoke in him. He dropped his head to the side and stared at her, "Safe, you know, I have never been to an amusement park before," He confessed, and she turned to look over her shoulder and commented with a smile; "What type of childhood you had?" But he only chuckled at her comment, "I was thinking we could go together" He asked with a soft voice, as she closed her book, "When?" She said, "Tomorrow," He answered, and with the excitement of a child she agreed, making him laugh. Ignoring her protest, he took the book from her hands and placed it down on the grass. Tuning over, he intertwined his legs with hers and embraced her torso, as he closed his eyes. He asked her if they could remain the rest of the afternoon hugging the other, and she found it impossible to refuse.

Back inside their house, the sun had set, and Safiye stood on the tip of her toes placing the book back in the library. Renato wished to memorize the feeling of her love, therefore he approached her and counted the number of steps he took. He breathed the coconut scent in her hair, and the natural perfume of her skin, felt the tips of their fingers touching before they closed to become a single fist, observed the innocent gleam in her eyes, the long eyelashes that always shone with her tears, and the voluminous shape of her light pink lips that curved to form the most beautiful smile. He dragged his fingers across the bare skin of her arms, with one hand reaching to her upper back, and the other one to the back of her head, where he tangled his fingers on her soft hair, and gently pushed her closer with his hands. He leaned down to kiss her forehead and froze time to enjoy the taste of her skin on his lips. He pulled apart only to bury himself in her heart and find momentary protection from all pain. She kept caressing his hair as he pressed his head over her chest before they had to go to bed and put an end to the day.