They had taken advantage of the *off* season and the unusually warm temperatures and headed to the beach for the Valentine weekend.
They didn't get to see much of each other so every moment, stolen or planned, was precious. She couldn't believe this is how their mini vacation had started.
With a sigh, she lay back against the still warm sand and looked up into the night sky. The stars were out in full force and the moon was making its path across the sea in a silver ribbon of light.
Thinking back, she wondered how the argument had actually gotten started....
They were so happy to get away this weekend! With the windows down and the scent of the salt and the sea air filling their lungs, Roy and Aly laughed and let the convertible top back on the Mustang. Cruising up the strip they held hands and looked for their Condo.
They passed several closed businesses. After all, it was February and most of the tourists would not be out in full force until the spring. As they rode down the practically deserted strip, Aly noticed new places she had not seen before. But then, she had not been here for several years now.
Passing one interesting restaurant, the *Hork and Scarf* made her stifle a giggle behind her hand. Roy looked over at her and lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss on her knuckle. She tightened her grip on his hand and smiled at him bashfully.
Finally locating their resort, they quickly checked in and gathered their luggage. Once in the privacy of their room, Roy promptly dropped the bags on the floor in the foyer and swept her into his arms for a kiss that made her blood boil.
After becoming *re-aquainted*, they were hungry for a lite snack. Aly padded into the kitchen to unpack their few snacks she had brought to tide them over until she could hit the grocery store. Pulling out some fruit, she began slicing it into a bowl for a fruit salad.
He moved up behind her unawares and slid his arms around her waist. She felt his breath at the back of her neck and giggled and shrugged him off with her shoulder. "Wait a minute! I'm hungry!" she said laughingly. Turning back to the fruit, she didn't notice the look on his face.
Roy felt brushed off. He didn't like that one iota. Looking at Aly as she stood in the kitchen in his shirt, slicing the fruit, made him want to take her in his arms once again and make her his.
He saw her so rarely with his busy schedule that he didn't realize how much he had missed her lately. When he planned this trip, he wanted to spend every possible moment with her. Turning towards the bedroom he tried to not be hurt by her standoffishness. Maybe she was just nervous.
"Aly, Cherie? I will take a quick shower, and join you on the balcony." He said and he heard her reply. Showering briskly and quickly, he donned a tank top and some faded jeans and padded back into the kitchen. He saw her out on the balcony sitting and snacking on the fruit.
With a smile, he joined her and had some of the fruit, and they watched
the sun begin to make its descent into the ocean.....
Aly sighed and sat back up. *Things get blown out of proportion so easily*, she thought to herself. Rising to her feet, she turned to head back down the beach towards the condo. She had been so confused and hurt when she fled that she had no idea how far she had come or how late it was.
There was a lot of construction going on around the different resorts during the off season that now, in the darkness, all of them looked alike. Aly tried to remain calm and look for the pier that was near their resort. She could see the lights as they twinkled far down the beach.
Letting her mind drift back again, she began to regret leaving in such a huff.....
Roy had wanted to take a quick dip in the pool. The resort was like a ghost town and there were only 3 other couples here this weekend. He wanted to have a skinny-dip and see if they would be noticed. Aly was shocked!! She loved him with her very soul, but a skinny dip!! No way!!
They had argued and Roy and slipped into French in his haste to make his point and win his case. Aly loved the language, but felt it was unfair sometimes when he used it and she didn't know enough to keep up. He had not realized it at the time and her confusion was beyond him.
Roy just wanted to have some fun. He didn't understand why Aly was so
uptight sometimes. He thought it would be exciting to take a skinny dip in the pool, especially since there was no one around tonight but the guard. He had already checked.
Aly didn't want to. He was trying so hard to make her see his point and the safety, but he didn't hear his own words. Being French, of course he would naturally speak in his own language when so over excited. He reached out and took hold of her arms in his urgency.
Aly totally misunderstood. Breaking free from his grip, she fled the room and ran out onto the beach. She could hear his voice coming across the sound of the rushing waves as if from a great distance....
"Aly....!! Aly....!! Wait....!!!'
She ran on...
Roy couldn't catch up with her. She was too fast.
Stopping at the edge of the water to catch his breath, he leaned over with his hands on his knees for balance. Taking a few deep breaths, he laughed as he thought that Aly had outrun him!
Speaking aloud to himself, he acknowledged, "Well... she DID have a head start!!" Laughing to himself he tried to think back to see what had set her off in such a way. Replaying the argument in his mind, he heard both of their sides. He knew that she was quite modest but thought that she would get caught up in the thrill of something as mischievous as skinny dipping.
With a sigh, he said" I guess not." Turning back to the steps to wait for her, he suddenly realized what it was. Slapping his forehead with the flat of his hand he said, "Mon Dieu! I did it again!" He had slipped into French in an argument, and she had told him before that this put her at a distinct dis- advantage.
Feeling sheepish suddenly, he wanted to do something to make it right. For, after all, tomorrow was Valentine's Day and he wanted to make the most of it.
Scanning back along the edge of the surf, he didn't see a sign of her. He knew that she would cool down and be back soon. That didn't leave him much time. He wanted to do something... special.
Rubbing his hands together in thoughtful contemplation, he looked around to see what he could do. The resort they were staying in was quite nice and left very little driftwood or debris lying in the sand in front of their property.
They also seemed to be constructing a sea wall of sorts. There was a wall already partially built and was being made of smooth river stones. Roy looked at the wall and appreciated the detail and craftsmanship that was evident in the design.
Suddenly, he had a thought.
There was a small pile of stones to the side of the site that were not yet set into the wall. Moving to the pile, he picked up a few stones and went to work...
~~<>~~<>~~
Aly saw the pier lights as they became brighter and brighter as she got closer. She felt suddenly quite foolish and chastised herself for wasting this precious time that she could have shared with Roy. Tomorrow was Valentine's Day and she wanted to make it truly special. She needed to get back and apologize for her childishness and make up for this time that had been lost.
She started scanning the buildings and finally recognized her resort. Turning to head up the sand toward the building, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Over on the deserted beach loungers, a figure was lying prone and seemed to be taking in the evening air as she was.
Trying to move past the figure without drawing attention to herself, Aly kept her eyes forward and down and walked rapidly past.
She was stopped instantly with a sight before her in the pale glow of the moonlight.
There on the sand was a heart made of stone. It was a large silhouette with an arrow shown piercing the center and coming out the other side. As she moved closer she felt a catch in her throat when she saw the name spelled out in the heart.... ALY.
She began to cry and he slid his arms around her waist from behind. Leaning back in his embrace, she smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes. He slowly turned her around and kissed the salty tears from her cheeks while whispering sweet words to her in French in her ear... Mon Cher... amore... ma petit...
She looked up into his eyes in the moonlight and smiled. He had melted her heart of stone, with a heart of stone.
Lifting her lips to his, she breathed, "Happy Valentines Day"