The next morning, Gini was still very reluctant.
“Guiney, tell me what’s bothering you. Let me help you to be happy.” Again, he was riddled with guilt. This trip was such a horrible idea. What was he thinking?
“No… know… where… are.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” He wrapped her up in his arms. Then he got an idea. “Let me show you where you are.”
He helped her out of bed, then, walking behind her, he took both her hands in his. Leaning over, he put both their hands on the bed. “This is our honeymoon bed.” Then to the other furniture. “And the nightstand, with lamp.” He took her all around the bathroom, the rest of the bedroom, and into the living area. He laid their hands on the kitchen counter. “Aaand… the kitchen counter. Dah-dum.”
Gini turned her head and smiled at him.
“And the couch.”
She giggled.
“And the balcony door.”
“Dah… dah… doom.” She had relaxed.
He took her out to the balcony, and they both plopped down on the outdoors couch. She was giggling, and he, for the first time on the trip, was smiling.
“I think you will love it here. I know I do. Just smell that sea air.”
“Fissy…”
“We’ll see. I’m not so sure you’re ready to go out on the open water.”
She leaned over and hugged him. Then she abruptly sat up straight at a swishing sound. She slowly got up and walked to the balcony rail. “Fa… lie… uff… bur.”
He joined her. “You hear the seagulls and the rustle of the breeze through the palm trees? I call this paradise.”
She walked farther down the rail.
They spent the rest of the morning eating on the balcony and taking in the fresh air. After lunch, he lay in the bed with her until she fell asleep. He got up and went in the living room to check his business email. He held his tablet in his hand, then he smiled, put the tablet on the coffee table and went back in bed. Snuggling close to her, he dozed off.
That night they strolled along the winding street, past shops, and went into a small cafe for dinner.
Robert was up at 6 a.m. He took his coffee out to the balcony off the bedroom and read his emails. The view from the balcony was a patch of tall palms swaying in the breeze. Beyond the trees was the sandy shore, and in the far distance, a small village. One end of the living room balcony looked down on the quiet, casual pool, and the front rail was above the rental pavilions settled in the white sand on a deep beach going out to clear blue water.
He was surprised when he heard her sweet voice at nine o’clock sharp—she was on local time.
They were sitting on the bed while she drank her juice.
“What do you want to do today, sweetheart?”
“Sweem… be… uff… sir… ka.”
“Okay.” What did she mean circle? He mulled her words over in his head as she drank.
“Swim with circles?” he finally asked.
She looked up at him, her eyes closed. Then she slowly wrapped her fingers around his hand and took him to the living room balcony. Standing at the end she repeated, “Sweem… be… uff… sir… ka.”
He wrapped his arms around her from the back. “Do you know what those circles are?”
She shook her head nestled in his chest.
“Those are tables. Under the thatched roof is a bar where you can get drinks. You can sit at the tables in the water to keep cool while you’re drinking.”
She turned her head and smiled.
After their ordered-up breakfast, he went to her suitcase and picked up the swimsuit on top of the clothes. He smiled again at Debbie’s organization. When they were in San Diego, right on top was a pair of pajamas. The next morning, an outfit for Gini to wear. On Sunday, the outfit for the day, and that night more pajamas. Under the pajamas was a note:
I have stacked the clothes as they are to be worn. The two dresses are on hangers, so please hang them when you get to the resort. They are for special dinners, etc. Have a wonderful time. Deb.
The amazing thing to him was how did she know Gini wouldn’t need a swimsuit the first day they were there? After what seemed to take hours to get them both ready, they walked down to the pool area hand in hand. He had signed for a double lounge, large enough for two, under a big umbrella. They sat on the edge of the lounger, and Robert started taking things out of the string backpack he’d packed. He placed her handled mug, sunscreen, and his book on a low table that separated them from a chair on the other side. He reached over and rubbed in a spot of sunscreen he had missed on Gini’s face.
She was wearing a large brimmed hat and wraparound sunglasses, and sat quiet while he got them settled.
“What do you want to drink, sweetheart?” He leaned close to her and kissed her on the side of her head.
“Wah… be… uff?”
“Gee, I don’t know. I’ll get a waiter.”
The woman
