“Hmm… Ah! You should hear about what I was like as a kid.” “Have I told you the one about your grandparents?” She nodded impatiently. The girl loved hearing about life on the mainland, and it had become routine for me to share them when we were on walks. It was a cool day, and the wet grass muddied the ground. The two of us sought shade from the morning sun. We often went on little walks like this it was her favourite thing to do. Holly puffed and jogged to catch up with me as I walked. The sea breeze smelled of salt as I breathed it in, savouring the moment. “I vow to love and care for you as long as we both may live.” She recited to me. Nyxa looked up at me, and we shared a silent moment. “I’ve thought long and hard about how I feel, but no matter what, my heart always finds his way back to you. “What about your life, Isaac? What about your fiancé?” You’ve been here for me for so long now…” She trailed off and looked away. “You have been my lover for years now, and despite the hardships we face, I know that I can trust you to keep our spirits up. I held her hand and looked into her eyes, overcome with emotion. When the fire was lit, I kissed my love on the cheek. The glow of the flames warmed us against the chilly morning air. She watched on curiously as I lit a fire. “Nyxa, I’ve been meaning to do this for a long time.” In that moment, I realised that in the years we’d been engaged, I had never married her. The sunrise wasn’t the only thing that was beautiful.
I averted her gaze and noticed the sun kissing the horizon. I just like imagining what it’ll be like when I go there,” Holly piped, a naïve innocence in her eyes. I just wish you’d told us where you were going.” I looked at Nyxa, and saw her face soften. “But I just wanted to see the mainland! You’re always too busy to take me, and you don’t let me go places by myself!” Holly nagged. You shouldn’t have gone so late at night!” I huffed. Holly’s grin faded, and she looked at me pleadingly. “Are you insane? It’s such a long way to go, you could have gotten hurt!” Nyxa let her go and stared with furious eyes. I was just looking at the mainland.” She said, swallowing a yawn. “We were so worried about you, Hol…” She choked. Nyxa embraced Holly and let the tears fall. I cried out in relief when I saw that she was safe and sound, without so much as a scratch. She stared out into the distance with wonder, squinting to look beyond the morning fog. With teary eyes we went to the last beach on the island, and found our darling Holly standing among the rocks. She ran from clearing to clearing, eyes darting from shrub to shrub in search of her daughter.Īn hour passed, and our voices went hoarse from yelling. Nyxa’s aura grew brighter as the sun made its way to the horizon. The long grass made my legs itch, and mosquitos feasted on my arms, but I couldn’t stop until we found her. I searched breathlessly, calling Holly’s name as I checked behind every bush, up every tree. Sharing a frightened look, we split and rushed into the woods. Nyxa began to glow, a dim halo of orange light. “I don’t know! She got up at night and never came back…” I explained. Her eyes traced the boundaries of the camp. I waved my arms and shouted to her, and frowning, she jogged over to me. She was humming a tune as she weeded wild plants, tipping rainwater onto the soil.
Searching desperately, I saw Nyxa foraging in the woods. Still uneasy, I emerged from the bush and stretched my legs. Perhaps she’s woken up early, I persuaded myself, I’m sure she’s fine. I dusted myself off and turned to say good morning to Holly. My eyes flew open when the first light of dawn struck our camp. I nodded and shut my eyes, drifting back to sleep. “I gotta pee,” Holly’s voice whispered in the darkness. As I tossed and turned in my bed, I felt my daughter slip out of my arms.