Epilogue
The Caribbean sun shone brightly over the clear, turquoise sea, making it glisten like a precious stone. Farrah and Ryan lay on wooden lounge chairs under a huge coconut tree which provided them shade from the sun. It was their third day on the island of Vanuatu, on what Farrah had called their first ‘bae-cation'. This beautiful white sand beach with its abundance of colourful seashells was like something out of the pages of a travel blog.
They’d had to endure a long-distance relationship that lasted almost four months before they could finally take a break from work to be together. They’d had to rely on daily video calls and texts to survive those months apart, but now that they were finally together, those times seemed like a distant memory.
Coming to Vanuatu had been Farrah’s idea. After their holiday in St. Kitts and Nevis, she’d become obsessed with the desire to visit as many Caribbean countries as possible once the opportunity presented itself, and Ryan was happy to tag along.
“We should go to Mauritius for our next bae-cation,” Farrah mused as she absently played with the charm bracelet on her left wrist. She never took it off, it had become a part of her.
Ryan chuckled and adjusted the fedora hat on his head. “There goes my little Miss Globetrotter,” he joked.
“I think I want to live on an island for the rest of my life,” she said.
“That would be like being on a never-ending holiday.”
“That’s the idea.”
“I like it!”
They shared a quick kiss, then continued to admire the scenery. There were other beach goers around, but they were few and far in between. The peace and quiet around them with the distant sound of crashing waves, was second to none. Farrah felt like she was in paradise.
“So, what happens after this holiday?” Ryan asked her. “We go through another couple of months Skyping and texting before we get to be together again?”
Farrah sighed. “I was thinking about the same thing just now. I can’t bear to be apart from you for so long again. I’d totally lose my mind.”
“That makes two of us,” Ryan said.
“How about we quit our jobs and travel from island to island until we find the perfect one to live on?”
Ryan laughed. “That sounds like an interesting adventure, and I think we’re both crazy enough to pull it off.”
“You bet we are,” Farrah agreed. “Wherever you are is where I want to be, Ryan. You’re my home. You’re everything I have ever wanted and more.”
“And you are my life, Farrah. My life only became meaningful after I met you.”
Farrah’s heart swelled with love. It felt so good to love and be loved with equal fervor. How did she get so lucky?
“I love you Ryan, with all of my heart,” she said with tears of joy in her eyes.
“I love you Farrah, with all of my soul,” he responded.
They kissed again and settled into a companionable silence as they watched the rolling waves. The serenity they felt in that moment was priceless.
“I had a vision the last time we were together in St. Kitts,” Farrah said.
“Really? About what?” Ryan asked.
“Us. We were walking on a field and ahead of us, two children ran and played in the grass. They were baby wolves.”
Ryan smiled. “What do you think that means?”
Farrah grinned. “Your guess is as good as mine. Wanna make it happen?”
He felt a familiar stir in his loins. “You’re damn right, I do.”
She laughed happily like she’d won a jackpot. “I’ll race you to the car.”
Ryan looked around quickly and noticed that most of the other beach goers had left, and the handful of people remaining were tiny figures in the distance.
“You’re on!” he said before jumping off the lounge chair and landing on the sand as a giant brown wolf.
“Hey, that’s cheating!” Farrah yelled when she saw what he’d done.
The wolf looked at her with what could pass for a mischievous grin, then it turned around and took off. Instead of going in the direction of the car park, it ran along the beach, splashing in the shallow waters on the shore.
“Wait up!” Farrah called out before running after him. She really had hit the jackpot this time, and Ryan was her prize. He was her soulmate, her other half, and she couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life with him.