The long route home

“Just ten more minutes,” she said, her heart in her eyes, threading her fingers through his as they walked along the soft wet sand.

“You said that half an hour ago!” he laughed. The sea breeze played with his hair and she resisted the urge to run her fingers through it’s lushness.

“We’ll be late,” he added. “You’ll miss your bus.”

“I don’t care. I want some more time with you.”

She was always reluctant to call it a day and part from him.

But they both knew. They had to care. Being seventeen and in love didn’t mean they could throw caution to the sea breeze. Life still went on.

The April sun was sinking wistfully into the horizon, turning the summer sky into languorous strips of orange and blue.

He slid his arm around her shoulder, subtly steering her to the bike parked by the thatched kiosk where they usually had hot ginger chai and samosas.

“It’s alright,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “I’m not going anywhere and neither are you. I just don’t want you getting in trouble at home for being late.”

His eyes didn’t hide the love he felt for her.

He was her rock. She could always count on him and be herself. Something about him always settled her. She knew he would take care of the little things and the big things. He wouldn’t let her down.

She hoped he would never change.

She sighed.

“Let’s take the long route home.”

******

“Do you want to get ice cream or hot chocolate?” He asked, holding her right hand in his left, deftly steering the car with his right, cutting through the evening rush hour traffic like someone who had been on top of his driving game forever and knew it.

“Anything’s fine,” she shrugged. Whatever could buy them a bit more time together.

He smiled, “let’s get some hot chocolate.”

She nodded, glancing at his profile, sharp and yet so endearing, a hint of a dimple peeking from his beard when he laughed.

Dark grey clouds drifted against the flaming April sky, as the winter sun slinked into the gathering twilight in the rearview mirror.

“But we’ll be late,” he quickly glanced at her. “I don’t want you to get in trouble at home…”

“What’s home anyway? Who cares?” she mumbled. Being thirty something didn’t make her any wiser. She still felt like a teen lost in the twilight. Mid-life crisis came hard, and with a heavy dose of deja vu.

“It’s okay. I do.” He said, kissing the knuckles of her hand. “There’s always tomorrow. And I am not going anywhere.”

Her eyes didn’t hide the love she felt for him.

He was her last encore. And more. Much, much more. His spontaneity made her heart race every single time. But in spite of his adventurous spirit, it was his considerate nature that she prized the most. He made her feel safe. She knew, he wouldn’t let her down.

Some things didn’t change, even if people did.

She sighed.

“Let’s take the long route home.”