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We were home from college and back with our parents. We didn’t want to barricade the door, or worry who might be behind on the other side. All we wanted was to be alone some-where. In the place we were looking for, we rode our bikes to the end of Long Island. Looked
at the Montauk Light House, and since we were lighthearted, decided to stay. It was mostly her idea. She chose a bed and breakfast. Made sure our room offered comfort and scen2
We headed back out. The ocean belonged to us, the only two people alive. We walked side by side, following the dunes along the shore. On the horizon, the sun set with a final stroke of light. We couldn’t afford the restaurant, but we became adapt at sharing food. Her choice of wine was better than mine. I never drank a second glass; she always did. The second round made her giggle.
Long time from now we’d realize we didn’t disagree or quarrel. We knew exactly what we hoped for. I remember we danced with lightness and gaiety. The music was captivating to spirits like ours. We walked back to the room, arms around our waists. We were in love and eager to share our lives.
What if we made love? “We can’t, we know that. Not until we’re married,” We said.
“We have to wait.”
Where were we at this point? What if we meant right here? We reached down, took our
arms, drew ourselves in.
We sat on the bed, undressing together. Her panties were off in three simple movements. The moonlight, even in our room, expanded in all directions. How beautiful it would be if every night was like this. The both of us. I heard the sound of her breathing. Then she sighed and laid back.
“Cover me in kisses.”
“I love you.” I exclaimed.
There was no uncertainty.
“I love you. I love you
“Please shut up,” she whispered. There wasn’t much to say that hadn’t been said before.
3
We were unguarded, our suspicions were over. The wine, the music liberated us from our inhibitions. Freed us to explore our bodies. We were so young. Intimacy made us lose self-control. Here, then, at the end of the world, we passed through the night. Astonished with
the pleasure we felt.
Morning in love. The bed was unmade, the covers rolled back. Underneath the sheets
we were still naked, and her breasts were cancer free. We didn’t want to get dressed and con-
ceal ourselves. The curtains stayed closed, keeping from outside the bright presence of day-
light. We did not care about the time or emphasize when to leave because we derived a certain pleasure from staying in bed.
There was no need, really, to do anything else. Minutes flowed by. We heard a door
close, others departing.
The strongest kind of love is the kind that makes you want to stay together forever. We hadn’t known we could feel this way. Breakfast. We ordered in and made our way back to bed. Our clothes laid across the room. We were obsessed with eating.
Ah, what a beautiful day. She broke the silence. “What if I get pregnant? What about
the baby? It’s the whole world we have to think of.”
I sat still listening, thinking of an answer. At first I didn’t have the words. I imagined
our lives, how far we could go, what that would take. “Forget the world. It’s just us. We’ll
be fine.”
She curled her knees up to her chest. If someone walked into the room to change the
sheets, they would have concluded not to disturb us.
“I’ll never go away from you.”
4
She raised her eyes.
Within a few hours we stuffed our backpacks and rode our bikes home. We would
have three children and a rocky marriage. If we set off to find out when our first born was conceived, I’d pick that evening before the moon slipped away. We touched our bodies,
our skin couldn’t have been any closer.
Our morning in love. We left behind the scent of the ocean, the sound of the surf.
From then on a number of harmful mutations occurred in her cells. There wasn’t a single obstacle to stop them from multiplying into a deeper danger.
That was a strange thing to think as if what happened to my wife began the moment
she was born. She was a lover of all things possible, but the mutations had nothing good to
offer her. Years later, my wife noticed a lump, barely traceable under her breast. She didn’t
know how to say anything and looked across the mirror to our bed.
There is no life other than what we have. That day in Montauk, in the early morning
light, we woke up in each other’s arms. Come to me, sing to me and dance with me forever.
If love isn’t in your soul, then what is? I wish I said, “I don’t want to lose you.”
About Larry Norton
After attending the School of Visual Arts, LE Norton graduated from the University of Buffalo. He received an MFA in theater arts from UCLA. His short has appeared in The Examined Life Journal. His one act play was presented on stage at Studio Theatre, Long Island.
