Chapter 7

~~Dream~~

I could hear the sound of waves crashing, and I could feel the wet sand in between my feet. Humid air hit against my skin and I could feel the heat of the sun as though it were burning just above my head. I could hear the singing of the birds and the sound of breathing next to me.

That was the first thing; I sensed everything around me instead of seeing. I first felt before my eyes opened and instead of waking up in my bed next to my Romeo, I was walking along the beach.

I looked down at the warm hand holding mine and I was met with a white tattooed hand wrapped around my darker skin toned one. I already knew who it was before I peered up to look into his yellow eyes.

This time though, I appreciated his appearance. Even though he was dressed in a light yellow shirt with the first few buttons undone and a pair of shorts, he still managed to look both dangerous and sexy. His tattoos made him look intimidating and evil but the smile that he gave me made my heart flutter.

My stomach was doing flips at the feel of his hand holding mine. My body felt at peace.

"Hey," I breathed out with a smile as I adjusted the sunhat on my head that shielded my face from the heat of the sun.

He smiled down at me before he looked ahead, continuing to walk with me along the beach, "hey," he responded with a thick husky tone that caused shivers to run down my spine and goose bumps to appear on my arms.

"Is this Switzerland?" I asked him and he shook his head. I craned my neck to look up at him.

"I thought you would appreciate the beach a lot more, love," the term made my heart skip a beat and I blushed. Nobody had ever called me that, hell, no man has ever even held my hand in this manner.

This was my first time holding a man's hand and even though this was all a dream, it felt so real. It all felt too real and I felt as though he was physically holding my hand because I could feel everything.

I could feel his skin, the bones in his hand, the warmth that seeped through into my own and the steadiness of the grip on my tiny fingers. 

I felt wide awake and it felt like I was really walking along the beach.

I turned to look at the beach because I had yet to look at it because the man had all of my attention. It was hard to miss him with his tall and built stature that commanded my attention whenever he was nearby.

My eyes slightly widened and my feet stopped moving as I looked at the beach that I would frequent with my grandmother. I had only come to this beach three times, but I would never forget coming here.

She would bring me here whenever she had saved up enough money for us to go on vacation. It would be the highlight of my existence.

I remember how she would book us a room at a local motel that wasn't really all that, but I didn't care about the motel. I only cared about the beach. Early in the mornings we would wake up and get ready for the beach before we were on our way.

She would sit on the sand and watch me as I tried to jump into the water. She'd then proceed to yell at me in front of people to not let my "black ass into that damn water". I was only allowed to dip in a foot, if I was lucky. Other than that, she would let me play with the wet sand and build sandcastles.

It reminds me of the memories of screaming and laughing children, teenagers who travelled in groups and young adults lying on towels in bikinis.

My grandmother would click her tongue at the occasional couples making out and complain about sitting in the sun for too long for me to play with sand. She would bring a basket filled with food and call me over every few hours to eat and drink.

I can still remember the feel of the bright yellow bodysuit that she bought for me when I was 9 years old and I was forced to wear it every time that we came here.

I felt fingers wipe at my tears and I was surprised that I was crying, "sorry," I apologized meekly to the handsome mystery man who seemed to know every memory of mine. It was obvious that he was a figment of my imagination to deal with my trauma.

Maybe I haven’t yet healed from the passing of my grandmother the right way which is why I'm dreaming of this man. Maybe this is my way of dealing with her death and her memories.

"I can still smell her, you know," I paused as I faced the waves, feeling the humid air hit me smack in the face and I smiled sadly, "I haven't forgotten how she smells," I continued in a weak voice. I knew he was listening and I knew that he was doing so intently and well.

Don't ask me how I knew, I just knew.

"I can still hear her," and it was true, I could hear her voice in the distance yelling at me to stop doing my nonsense before I give her a heart attack. My smile saddens so much that it becomes a frown, "oh man, I gave that woman hell," I remembered how troublesome I was. I used to stress her out so much. I would go to school and come back with my uniform torn, or my school bag gone and stolen. Other times, I would miss my bus or get bullied at school and I'd come home with a blue eye and bloody nose.

I would pee in the bed and throw tantrums in stores because I wanted certain toys or candy. I used to steal from stores and get chased by store owners. Cops would come knocking on my grandmother's door to ask for me and she would have to cover for me. I would sell weed to make some extra money, and I was underage at that time.

I sighed, "peace to grandma," I sent my blessings and prayers to her. I wasn't a religious person, but when it came to her I would pray that she went to heaven because she deserved it, "life wasn't kind but she made sure that I lived well. I love her," I paused, before I faced him again, "I miss her."

He wrapped his arms around me and I buried my face in his chest and took in a deep whiff. Surprisingly, he smelled just like me. He smelled like strawberries, more specifically my strawberry shampoo, "she's in a better place," he just said and I could feel the vibrations from his words.

I nodded, seeking more comfort from his scent, "I know," I agreed before he pulled away and took my hand in his.

We slowly began to walk towards the water, until it covered my entire lower body. I smiled, enjoying this moment and reliving much happier moments with that godsend of a woman.

~~End~~