Next Morning

Tiyanna slept past the start of Sunday as the 7 friends enjoyed breakfast out on the brick patio. The air was rather crisp for August, but it renewed their spirits and mentality. Their private beach was calling to them, so they finished breakfast hastily to clash with the whispering waves.

"It's too cold," Sasha whined, barely getting her ankles dampened with water.

"You aren't going to get out of this that easily," Greg threatened her with a deviating smile.

"No Greg," Sasha warned him, outreaching her arms to brush him away like an annoying Bee. Greg ignored her pleas and sprinted after her. She turned and darted for the sand doons, screaming in delight and fear.

"She is right," Bridget yelleld to the guys who were already waist deep in cool blue water. She covered her chest with her arms as she slowly moved towards them.

"You'll get used to it," Frankie bellowed back, trudging through the water to get back to his girl. He took her hand as a father would take a daughter's and lead her out to the deep waters. She controlled her shivers, but contorted her face to a face of discomfort. Frankie engulfed her in a hug when they reached Matt, Jesse and Chris.

"Not a morning person, huh Bridget?" Chris asked sarcastically.

"I don't mind the morning so much, Christoper," Bridget repiled in the same smart-ass tone, splashing him with the sea green water, "It's the being stuck this giant pool of ice that I mind."

"Testy, testy!" Jesse yelled as he dunked his tiny body beneath the water.

"It must be 'that time' of the month for her," Matt whispered to Jesse, waiting gracefully in the water. Jesse laughed uncontrollably at Matt's comment. Bridget's ears perked up and with an offended look on her face, she splashed all 3 of the guys viciously. They took it like men, glaced at each other and retaliated with a powerful cannon of H2O. Bridget shrieked, submerged under the water and swam as fast as her body could take her to the shoreline.

Bridget scrambled onto shore. She felt that she was a drowned rat. She twisted her body to the guys smiling satisfiedly in the ocean of victory. "You all suck," she gasped with a shy smile...

"Chrisss, Bridget, Sasha!" Tiyanna attempted to shout, but her voice couldn't raise past a whisper.

"You're looking better today, Ti," Bridget told her sitting on the wooden floor next to her bed.

"I'm feeling better," Tiyanna replied, taking a tissue from the box on her stomach. "I've only used 10 tissues today!"

"That's good," Chris informed her, avoiding her eyes at first. They slowly shifted to her warm eyes and they both smiled.

"God!" Sasha sighed, watching the two actually flirting, but shyly! "Just tell each other how you feel! You're killing me here."

"Please!" Chris begged, sitting on the foot of her bed, "Where did you and Greg run off to?"

"We ran to the house for your information!" Sasha retorted smiling. "We sat in the den and watched 'Fox Family'."

"Is that what you call it?" Bridget implored, playfully pushing Sasha with her bare foot.

"What about your date tonight with Frankie?" Sasha fough back, pointing at her aggressivley.

"It's not like that, Sasha," Bridget infomed her. "It isn't anything sexual. It's like friendship but so much more glorious, so much more intimate. He's like my best friend...besides you and Ti, of course..." Bridget went on and on, boring Sasha to death about Frankie. Tiyanna and Chris left the room, strolled onto the patio and sat arms in arms on the lawn chair watching the day pass them by...

"No later than 10, OK Kids?" Matt told Frankie and Bridget in a parenting tone.

"Yes Papa," Bridget replied, holding the brown box of Chinese food with both weak hands. Frankie placed his arm around her waist and he carried a plastic bag in his right hand. Frankie lead her to a moonlight spot on the beach, a spot that couldn't be more stimulating to the eyes. A white gazeebo stood strong in front of bushes blossoming with vivid flowers. Even in the pale moonlight, she could see every detail, the perfect tan sand, the splinterless white steps, the long grass dancing to the rythum of their hearts; every detail. Bridget excitedly walked up the stairs with Frankie close behind. She placed the box of food in the center of the Gazeebo as Frankie took 3 red candels and strategically lit them. "How romantic," Bridget dramatized, holding her hands to her heart.

"I know I know," Frankie replied with a smile as he sat indian-style next to her. They consumed their chinese food in the wake of chatting up a storm.

"I don't think I can take another bite," Bridget moaned, holding her stomach as if it was going to spill out.

"I guess we'll hold off on dessert then," Frankie laughed, wrapping his arms around her body and drawing her in close. She giggled and rested her head on his broad chest. She placed her hands on top of his firmly as they sat in silence, gazing at the moon. Bridget brushed her hand over Frankie's and he laid a kiss on her cheek.

It had to be the stars that lead to Frankie's next words. The midnight sky was a dark blue that not even a painter can capture. Twinkiling diamonds in the sky; that's what the stars were. Light whisps of clouds tried to hide the moon from the stars, but they'd never hide it long. The scentalating wind shoved it away. Mother Moon was always there to shine with her sister. Then, a little star peeped in from the left. It traveled in a rainbow of dark over the moon and out of the range of view. That sky could only have been seen, truley seen, by people together by destiny because Fate is in the stars. It was then when Frankie laid his lips close to Bridget's ear and whispered, "I love you."

Bridget's eyes dialated at those 3 wonderful words. She looked behind her shoulder and beamed a thankful smile. Mother Moon brightened to a fiery blue as they shared this precious moment. Moonlight hit their faces and they saw each other in true beauty. She whispered back "I love you, too," as his mouth seized hers.