Water Signs: A Story of Love and Renewal

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"What do you think, baby?" he asked. They were standing in the

middle of an expansive, ceramic-tiled living room, beyond which

panoramic sliding glass doors beckoned to a spacious lanai with a built-in

swimming pool, cabana bathroom, separate dining area and custom-made

grill. A screen-door a few feet behind the pool led across a half-acre of

sturdy saw grass to a beautiful handcrafted dock and boat slip; the

Intracoastal Waterway glistened in the distance.

"Wow! It's absolutely magnificent, Kenny!" she marveled. "Although

I gotta admit, I was a goner from the moment we pulled up in the

driveway!"

She recalled the impressive arches, Roman columns and fairytale

turrets that graced the front of the two-story, five-bedroom home, capped

off with an S-tile roof and three-car garage. Professional landscaping

utilizing bougainvilleas, hibiscus and palm trees of differing varieties

added a warm, finishing touch to this shining example of renowned

Florida architecture.

"Thank you, sweetheart. I'm really excited about it."

"As you should be. You've worked really hard, Kenny. I can't think of

anyone more deserving of a place like this. And I'm sure the kids are

going to love living here, too."

"Well, with the market being the way it is, I figured now was the time

to make my move. I've always wanted to live on the water, though if I

could, I'd buy a place on the beach. But even in a down-market, I couldn't

quite swing that. So, I settled for the Intracoastal." He sighed facetiously.

"Sheesh, you're really slummin' Ken!" They both cracked up.

"C'mon, I want to show you upstairs."

He escorted her to a gorgeous, curving staircase reminiscent of the

Von Trapp family mansion in The Sound of Music. Its marble steps were

partially covered by a thick, mauve carpet while the wraparound balcony

led to spacious bedrooms on either side. Once at the top, Ken opened the

white double doors of the Master bedroom, revealing an exquisite space

that overlooked the dock and patio to the south and the front lawn to the

north.

"Oh, I just love French doors!" Maddy exclaimed, running past the

light oak, king-sized bed. She stepped out onto a large veranda, where a

breathtaking view of sunlight dancing on the water and streaking through

lush, tropical foliage greeted her. "Gosh, it's so private, too! No neighbors

directly across; how nice!"

He came up from behind and slipped his arms around her waist,

igniting a firestorm within.

"Yes, I thought so too," he agreed, nuzzling her neck.

"What a great place to have your morning coffee," she noted, leaning

her head to the side to allow him easier access.

"Mmm-hmm," he murmured. With that, he turned her in his arms

and drew her into another passionate kiss. When they finally came up for

air, he brought their foreheads together and held his hands around her

waist, eliciting infinite memories of similar interludes.

"Madeline, I've missed you so much," he whispered hoarsely.

"I've missed you, too," she barely choked out.

"I never once forgot about you, you know. I read your letter so many

times I could probably recite it verbatim now from memory. God, you

don't know what it did to me." He stopped for a moment, overcome with

emotion.

"Kenny, it was meant to make you feel good," she reminded him

softly. "There were so many things I never said to you, so much I'd left

unfinished. When I thought back to some of the hurtful things I did in

the past, I-"

"Shh," he placed two fingers on her lips. "Listen to me, sweetheart. I

hurt you, too and I am just as sorry for that. For whatever reason, the

timing just wasn't right for us back then."

"That's true in so many ways," she admitted. "You were ready and I

wasn't. I honestly wasn't prepared for someone like you to feel the way

you did about me, and I definitely wasn't ready to be your bride. Ugh,

when I think about how naïve, how frightened I was of life, it astonishes

me. Sure, we could blame other people or outside circumstances, but the

fact is, Kenny, I still had so much growing up to do. I never would've

made you happy then, no matter how much I might've tried."

"It's ok, sweetheart," he gently stroked her face as he spoke.

"Hey," he said when he noticed a tear trickle down her cheek, "This

is all behind us now, right? I'm here, you're here and it's a brand-new

beginning." Maddy nodded her head, unable to utter a sound.

That's when he scooped her into his arms and carried her back inside.

He strode up to the bed and carefully laid her down on top of a fluffy

forest green comforter. Then he picked up a remote control and clicked

on the stereo before climbing in next to her. Soothing love songs filled

the air, enhancing an already emotional exchange.

"Like old times, right?"

His voice was comforting as he took her in his arms and planted a

kiss on her forehead. Maddy laid her head on his chest, unable to

distinguish now between fantasy and reality. Were they really lying here together

or was this just another exquisite visualization exercise? At this point, she didn't

care; all she felt was an overwhelming mixture of gratitude and awe, along

with an intense desire to freeze this moment forever.

Of course, the weighty burden of having to coming clean about all of

the things that had transpired during her personal odyssey of mind, body

and soul development hung over her like a black summer afternoon storm

cloud. She kept thinking back to Ann's strict admonitions about absolute

honesty.

"Maddy? You ok?"

"Yes, I'm just a little shell-shocked, baby. I still can't believe we're

both here like this. It's a miracle."

"I know the feeling, sweetheart. How long has it been since I held

you like this? A lifetime, I think."

"And yet in some ways it feels like yesterday," she sighed.

"Kenny?"

"Yes?"

"There's so much I have to tell you."

"Same here, sweetheart. A few things have happened over the last,

oh, thirteen or so years," he chuckled.

"I'm serious."

"So am I," he agreed. Then, feeling her tense up in his arms, he asked

with genuine concern, "What's the matter, my beautiful Madeline?"

Like an unrestrained dam, the tears began to flow freely, try as she

might to hold them back. Ken held her even tighter though his

continuous efforts to coax an explanation out of her only seemed to

provoke a fresh eruption of tortured emotion. Finally, he decided to

simply remain silent and wait for her as they lay there in the stillness of a

secluded tropical afternoon.