see us!" Paul exulted. "They're coming! They're coming for us!"
Indeed they were! As the boat got closer, the men could see that it was the shore patrol, and when they got closer there was a lot of "Hello"ing back and forth between the boat and the men on shore. The boat stopped just short of the beach. There were two men aboard. "Are you injured? Can you wade out?" one of them called.
"We're fine. Yes," Connor called.
"And very glad to see you!" Paul added.
"Is there anyone else on the island?"
"Absolutely not. Just us." Both men had reached the boat now and clambered over the side with an assist from the two shore patrol members. Then the boat turned and headed for the mainland with the grateful and relieved duo aboard. Paul asked for any news of Patrick and repeated the question when they pulled up at the dock on the mainland, but nobody seemed to know about him.
"How are we supposed to get home? Both our cars went down with the ferry," Paul said.
"I still have my wallet. My money's waterlogged but still valid," Connor said. "We'll take a taxi."
"Don't you want to get checked out at the hospital first?" asked one of the shore patrol members.
"I want to get home."
"Me too," echoed Paul.
"I want to take a shower, change clothes, call my job, call my insurance company, get a rental car to use till I can buy a replacement, get a new cell phone…." Connor reeled off a list of tasks.
"Me too. And I want to make sure Patrick got home safely."
Connor looked at him, wondering if Paul was having second thoughts about ending his relationship with Patrick. As if reading his mind, Paul turned to Connor and said, "I still mean to end it with him, but dammit, I want to know he's alive.
"I still have your card. It's waterlogged but legible. I assume your new cell phone will have the same number."
"I'll make sure it does."
"You don't have a landline?" Paul asked.
"Just the cell."
"I'll call you later. I still have a landline."
The taxi dropped Paul off first, then Connor. Despite his long list of things to do, Connor couldn't keep his mind off Paul. What if Patrick hadn't been found yet? What if he was home and so glad to see Paul that he wouldn't hear of breaking up? What if Paul himself had a change of heart when he found himself at home among familiar surroundings?" He worried his way through the afternoon and through the first decent meal he'd had in days.
Finally his cell phone rang. It was Paul.
"How'd it go?" Connor asked without preamble.
"All's well," Paul said, easing Connor mind with just two words. "Patrick's safe—and he had the same epiphany I did. Life is for living, not just for existing, and it's meant for true happiness, not just comfort. I didn't have to sell him on the concept of breaking up. He was already there. He's going apartment-hunting tomorrow.
"Hey, is it too late to come over this evening?"
"It's too late for dinner but not for—um—'dessert.' I presume there are no strings anymore, no barriers?"
"Nope. No strings. No barriers. Would it be all right if I planned to spend the night?"
"You'd better! When I called in to work, they'd heard about the ferry capsizing and surmised I was on it. They were very glad to hear I'd survived and been rescued. They gave me tomorrow off. So I don't even have to get up for work in the morning."
"Same here. When I called in to the store they said that they'd figured I was on the ferry that went down. I have tomorrow off too."
"Think we can figure out something to do with each other in the morning?" Connor teased.
"Definitely!" Paul enthused. "I already have a rental car. Just give me driving directions. The car doesn't have a GPS."
"Here's to a great night—and morning!" Connor said.
"Here's to a great future!" Paul replied.
Connor grinned. A great future indeed!
Rob+Rab 4eva
Lucy Kemnitzer
In the beginning, a few words
Nobody really goes to college meaning to meet their soul mate, but Rob had hoped to at least pick up a temporary steady
Indeed they were! As the boat got closer, the men could see that it was the shore patrol, and when they got closer there was a lot of "Hello"ing back and forth between the boat and the men on shore. The boat stopped just short of the beach. There were two men aboard. "Are you injured? Can you wade out?" one of them called.
"We're fine. Yes," Connor called.
"And very glad to see you!" Paul added.
"Is there anyone else on the island?"
"Absolutely not. Just us." Both men had reached the boat now and clambered over the side with an assist from the two shore patrol members. Then the boat turned and headed for the mainland with the grateful and relieved duo aboard. Paul asked for any news of Patrick and repeated the question when they pulled up at the dock on the mainland, but nobody seemed to know about him.
"How are we supposed to get home? Both our cars went down with the ferry," Paul said.
"I still have my wallet. My money's waterlogged but still valid," Connor said. "We'll take a taxi."
"Don't you want to get checked out at the hospital first?" asked one of the shore patrol members.
"I want to get home."
"Me too," echoed Paul.
"I want to take a shower, change clothes, call my job, call my insurance company, get a rental car to use till I can buy a replacement, get a new cell phone…." Connor reeled off a list of tasks.
"Me too. And I want to make sure Patrick got home safely."
Connor looked at him, wondering if Paul was having second thoughts about ending his relationship with Patrick. As if reading his mind, Paul turned to Connor and said, "I still mean to end it with him, but dammit, I want to know he's alive.
"I still have your card. It's waterlogged but legible. I assume your new cell phone will have the same number."
"I'll make sure it does."
"You don't have a landline?" Paul asked.
"Just the cell."
"I'll call you later. I still have a landline."
The taxi dropped Paul off first, then Connor. Despite his long list of things to do, Connor couldn't keep his mind off Paul. What if Patrick hadn't been found yet? What if he was home and so glad to see Paul that he wouldn't hear of breaking up? What if Paul himself had a change of heart when he found himself at home among familiar surroundings?" He worried his way through the afternoon and through the first decent meal he'd had in days.
Finally his cell phone rang. It was Paul.
"How'd it go?" Connor asked without preamble.
"All's well," Paul said, easing Connor mind with just two words. "Patrick's safe—and he had the same epiphany I did. Life is for living, not just for existing, and it's meant for true happiness, not just comfort. I didn't have to sell him on the concept of breaking up. He was already there. He's going apartment-hunting tomorrow.
"Hey, is it too late to come over this evening?"
"It's too late for dinner but not for—um—'dessert.' I presume there are no strings anymore, no barriers?"
"Nope. No strings. No barriers. Would it be all right if I planned to spend the night?"
"You'd better! When I called in to work, they'd heard about the ferry capsizing and surmised I was on it. They were very glad to hear I'd survived and been rescued. They gave me tomorrow off. So I don't even have to get up for work in the morning."
"Same here. When I called in to the store they said that they'd figured I was on the ferry that went down. I have tomorrow off too."
"Think we can figure out something to do with each other in the morning?" Connor teased.
"Definitely!" Paul enthused. "I already have a rental car. Just give me driving directions. The car doesn't have a GPS."
"Here's to a great night—and morning!" Connor said.
"Here's to a great future!" Paul replied.
Connor grinned. A great future indeed!
Rob+Rab 4eva
Lucy Kemnitzer
In the beginning, a few words
Nobody really goes to college meaning to meet their soul mate, but Rob had hoped to at least pick up a temporary steady
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