A Love Like Ours

by Micalea Smeltzer

  I climb inside first and take a seat on one of the plush, black leather seats.

  “Is this how royalty is treated?” I ask Ollie, my eyes roaming over the shiny features in the car.

  He looks around too and shrugs as the driver gets into the car. “’S’pose so.” He tilts his head to the side. “Do you think this is how Liam grew up? Fancy cars and private yachts?”

  I press my lips together, quietly musing. “I guess so. I mean, he would’ve had to, right? His dad’s a rock star. He acts pretty down to Earth, though. Although, I guess it’s not exactly normal to send your friends on a trip around the world.”

  “It must’ve been weird to grow up like that.”

  “It was weird growing up in foster care too,” I counter.

  He chuckles. “I guess there’s no such thing as normal.”

  “No, there’s not,” I agree.

  Twenty minutes later, we arrive at the dock. The driver parks and gets out, opening the door for us.

  “I’ll be here to pick you up when you return,” he says with a pleasant smile.

  “Do you … uh … know which way we’re supposed to go?” Ollie asks.

  The man smiles and points. “Down that dock. There will be someone to meet you.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  Ollie takes my hand and we head down the dock. My flip-flops slap against the wooden boards. It’s peaceful here, the way the ocean waves sound against the dock pillars. The sky is a crystal-clear-blue and only a few puffy white clouds dot the sky. A bird flies overhead, squawking as it searches for its next meal.

  We head further down the dock, and just like the driver said, someone stands outside one of the boats.

  The woman is dressed in a pair of navy shorts and a white polo shirt.

  She’s blond, with tan skin, and smile lines around her eyes and around her mouth. “Hi, I’m Tanya,” she greets us.

  “You’re American,” I say. I don’t know why I found this so important to point out.

  She laughs, extending her hand for us to shake. “That’d be correct. The crew is already on board, but I wanted to wait out here to make sure you found it okay. Are you ready to head out?”

  We both nod.

  I take a moment to look at the yacht and I’m blown away by the size of it. Even though the papers said yacht I was still expecting something much smaller than this monstrosity. One look at the size of this thing and it’s obvious it costs a pretty penny to go out for a day in it.

  Tanya helps us onto the ship and then escorts us to an area outside where we can lie down. It’s basically a large bed built into the yacht. A table and chair set is also nearby as well as two regular lounge chairs like you’d find by the pool.

  “I figure you’ll be most comfortable here. There’s more to see outside than inside, but you’re welcome to use any of the living spaces. There are several bedrooms, bathrooms, and a living room. There’s also a kitchen but we have a chef on board preparing your meals, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

  “Meals?” I echo.

  She smiles. “Lunch and dinner. It’ll be late when we dock. Are either of you prone to sea sickness?” We both shake our heads. “Good, good. Well, that’s all for now. I’ll check on you in a bit and see if you need anything. Someone will be by soon with drinks and your lunch will be ready in thirty minutes.”

  Tanya disappears through a door with stairs leading down into the yacht.

  I sit down on the mattress type thing, looking out at the water.

  Ollie climbs on beside me, leaning over the metal railing.

  He whistles. “This thing is snazzy.”

  The yacht pulls out of the dock and cruises out into the open water.

  Ollie and I both sit so we can look at the view, and it’s breathtaking. The view of the land grows smaller and smaller until it disappears all together.

  Eventually, we lie down on the mattress, side by side, our pinky fingers hooked together.

  “Sometimes,” I begin, “I wonder what she would’ve been. What she would’ve done,” I say, referring to the baby. Ever since Ollie and I spoke about both of us thinking the baby was girl, I’ve been thinking of her that way. I don’t know whether it’s harder or easier imagining the baby as a her and not an it, but it makes me feel better. “I wonder if she would’ve been an artist, or a doctor, or an astronaut.”

  Ollie stiffens beside me. “Yeah, I wonder too,” he says quietly. “I always wondered who she’d look the most like.”

  “I hoped she’d have your curls and your dimple.” I roll over and poke his cheek.

  He smiles and his dimple flashes. “I wanted her to have your lips and your nose.” He traces his finger over my lips and then taps the end of my nose.

  I sigh and snuggle closer to his side.

  It would be easy to cry again, to scream at all we’ve lost, but it won’t do any good. All the crying and screaming in the world won’t change the outcome. She’s still gone and we’ll never know our first child. I know now that the hurt will never fully go away, that there will always be a dull ache inside my heart where she belongs, but I also know we have to move on and stop living our lives on pause.

  “She would’ve been beautiful,” I whisper.

  “She is beautiful,” he counters. “Wherever she is, I know her spirit shines brighter than others.”

  My fingers fist his shirt as I fight back the sting of pain I feel inside.

  “Lunch is ready.” Tanya’s voice breaks into our moment and we sit up, pulling apart. “It’s this way.”

  She leads us around to another outdoor part of the yacht to where a table is set up with our lunch. I had figured we’d eat on the other side where we’d been before, since there was a table, but apparently that one’s not for eating or something. Who knows when it comes to fancy boats?

  The table is adorned with a white tablecloth and set with fine china. It’s like eating at a five-star restaurant, only we’re on a floating one.

  “Enjoy.” Tanya smiles as we take our seats and then she’s gone again. Apparently, she’s really good at disappearing. Maybe she was a magician in another life.

  Our lunch consists of some sort of seafood pasta dish. I’ve never tasted anything like it, but it’s possibly the greatest thing I’ve ever eaten. I devour it like I haven’t eaten in a month and then I eat what Ollie doesn’t finish. I actually think he wanted to finish it but was afraid I might stab him with my fork the way I kept eyeing his plate.

  By the time the plates are cleared away, I’m stuffed and never want to eat again. Although, I’m sure when I see whatever has been prepared for dinner I’ll change my mind.

  “We’ll be stopping soon,” Tanya tells us, appearing again along with two other people who clear away the dishes from the table. “You’ll be able to swim if you want. There’s an excellent area to view the marine life and that’s where we’re stopping.”

  “Really?” My eyes widen with excitement. “That sounds fun.”

  Tanya nods. “I should warn you that sharks occasionally peruse this area, but they won’t pay you any mind.”

  “We’re not afraid of sharks.” Ollie laughs, appalled by the idea.

  Tanya raises a brow in inquiry.

  “We’re from Malibu,” I explain. “We spend a lot of time in the ocean, so sharks are nothing new.”

  “Ah, I see.” She clasps her hands together. “I, myself, am absolutely terrified of them.” She mock-shivers. Clearing her throat, she reminds us, “You guys are free to roam the boat. You don’t have to stay out here.”

  I shrug. “We like being outside.”

  She laughs lightly. “I guess you would if you’re from Malibu.” She smiles kindly and then heads back inside.

  I stand from the table and head over to the railing. I climb up on the first rung and lean over, peering down at the spray from the waves as the yacht cruises over it.

  Ollie comes to stand beside me.

  “Marry me.”

  What
?

  I hop down from the metal railing, my mouth parted in surprise, and look at him like I’ve seen a ghost. “What did you say?”

  “Marry me,” he repeats, dead serious. There’s not a hint of joking in his eyes and I’m stunned.

  We’ve been together for so long, but we haven’t talked about marriage all that much. I figured we might never get married, and that was okay with me. I don’t need a piece of paper and a ring to tell me I’m married. I love him and I know I’m going to spend the rest of my life with him and that’s enough for me. I’m not saying I don’t want to get married, just that I don’t need to.

  As if he can read my mind, he grabs my hands and holds them between his.

  “I know, I know. We haven’t talked about this that much, and it’s never been a big deal to either of us, but fuck it, Talia. I want to marry you. I want to call you my wife.” He drops down to one knee. His eyes are wide and earnest as he stares up at me. “I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  I’m stunned. I feel like I’m having an out of body experience or something. It’s so unexpected, but that doesn’t change how I feel.

  “Yes,” I whisper. “Yes,” I say again, this time a little louder.

  Ollie grins and jumps up, wrapping both of his arms around my body and spinning me around.

  My laughter filters through the air and I hold onto his shoulders as we spin in circles. When he sets me down I feel slightly dizzy and hold onto him for support.

  He cups my face between his hands. “We’re getting married!” he screams at the top of his lungs before pressing his lips to mine in a kiss that steals my breath.

  I feel light-headed when he pulls away and sway slightly.

  “Whoa.” I press a hand to my head.

  Ollie instantly sobers and grasps my arms, peering down into my eyes. “Are you okay?” he asks.

  I shake my head. “I think I need to lie down.”

  He looks worried, but doesn’t say anything as he guides me back over to the other side of the yacht and to the mattress.

  I lie down and breathe in through my mouth and out through my nose.

  “Do I need to get Tanya? Should we head back? Do you need a doctor?” He rattles off questions.

  “I think if I lay here and close my eyes I’ll be okay.”

  Ollie doesn’t look convinced, but he nods. He grabs one of the chairs and pulls it over before sitting down.

  “You can lay here with me,” I tell him. “I’m not going to break if you touch me.”

  He shakes his head. “I’m okay over here. Just close your eyes and if it gets worse, tell me.”

  I’m already starting to feel better, but thanks to my full belly and the lull of the boat moving across the water, I can feel my eyes growing heavy.

  It doesn’t take long until I can’t keep them open and I drift off to sleep.

  I jolt awake and my heart nearly leaps out of my chest when I look to my right and see the ocean below me. My senses quickly return and I remember where I am. I sit up slowly, fearful my dizzy spell might return, but all seems well. The boat has stopped now and we’re out so far that there is no land anywhere I look.

  The ocean laps against the side of the yacht making a thumping sound.

  I don’t see Ollie so I make my way to the other side, thinking I’ll find him there.

  I frown when he’s not there.

  I make my way inside and bump into Tanya.

  “Have you seen Ollie?” I ask her.

  She nods. “I was giving him the gear for swimming. He should be back on the deck now.”

  “Oh.” I shake my head. “I must’ve missed him.”

  “Are you feeling better?” she asks before I leave.

  I nod. “Much.”

  In all honesty, I feel like the episode never happened. I’m sure it was nothing, probably a combination of all the excitement over Ollie’s unexpected proposal, the spinning, and the swaying ship.

  “Good,” she says. “Would you like anything? Some juice perhaps?”

  Now that she mentions it, some orange juice would taste amazing. “Do you have orange juice?” I ask.

  “We sure do.”

  “I’d love to have some.”

  “Okay.” She smiles brightly. “If you want to go on out and meet Ollie I’ll bring that out to you.”

  “Thank you,” I tell her before turning and heading back the way I came.

  I find Ollie back where I started and he brightens when he sees me.

  “Hey, I’m glad you’re up. I was just about to come looking for you. How are you feeling?”

  “Better.”

  He stands from where he’d been kneeling, messing with a set of flippers. “Up for a swim?”

  “Absolutely.” I point at the flippers. “But I’m not using those things. You know I hate them.”

  He tilts his head back and laughs loudly. “I figured as much and tried to tell Tanya, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer and gave me all this stuff for us to use.” He waves his arm at the various types of goggles, flippers, and snorkeling gear littering the deck.

  “Wow, quite the collection they’ve got going on,” I comment.

  Before Ollie can retort, Tanya pushes open the door and steps out with a glass of orange juice.

  “Here you go.” She extends the champagne flute filled with orange juice to me.

  “Thanks.” I smile and take it from her. I take a sip and let out an audible moan. “Oh, my God, I think this is the best orange juice I’ve ever had.”

  “Oh, good. Well, if you want more just let me know. Are you good here?” She points to everything spread on the deck of the boat. “Do you need anything else? We have more stuff.”

  “Nah, we’re good.” Ollie tells her, hooking his thumbs into the back of his shirt and pulling it over his head. He drops the shirt onto the mattress and grabs one of the pairs of goggles.

  When I glance at Tanya, she’s ogling his bare chest and I stifle a laugh. She sees a hot guy with six-pack abs. I see my boyfriend—fiancé, I correct myself—who once stuck a Cheeto up each nostril and called himself a walrus.

  Ollie slips the goggles on and heads to the back of the boat.

  “Cowabunga!” he yells before launching his body into the air. A moment later, we hear a splash and water sprays up onto the deck.

  “He’s very … energetic,” Tanya comments.

  I laugh. “Yeah, that’s one word for it.”

  I slip my dress off and drape it over one of the chairs.

  “There’s a better place to get in the water,” she starts. “So that you don’t have to jump over the back of the boat.”

  I grin. “That’s part of the fun, Tanya.”

  Before she can blink, I take off running and jump over the side of the boat into the water. It’s a fairly long fall into the water, and I could’ve gotten hurt doing it, but if I stopped to think about the repercussions of every little thing then I’d never leave the house.

  Sometimes you have to quiet that little voice in your head that screams at you to hold back and let go.

  Take risks.

  Be spontaneous.

  Let your dreams ignite your life.

  That’s my motto.

  I sink through the warm water and kick my legs toward the surface. I spot Ollie a few feet away and swim toward him.

  He meets me and I wrap my arms around his neck, both of us treading water.

  “I think we’ve made it, Tal.”

  I smile, my heart warming at his words.

  Once upon a time, we didn’t have enough food in our bellies or a roof over our heads and we dreamed of making it.

  Making it somewhere good where we didn’t have to fight so hard.

  “Yeah, we did.”

  The day we spent on the yacht wore me out so much that on the day we travel to Portugal I spend the whole day sleeping every second I can, and when we finally arrive at our hotel, I don’t even spare a moment to notice what it looks
like before I promptly collapse into bed.

  I don’t know of a point in my life where I’ve ever felt this bone tired. I’ve always been a naturally energetic and bubbly person—it’s why Ollie and I work so well together, since we’re both equally hyper. I’m not used to traveling on an airplane so often, so I guess it could be that, but it feels like something else.

  “Tal, are you okay?” Ollie asks, shaking my foot.

  I fell face first onto the pillow when I dropped onto the bed so I turn my face to the side to speak. “I’m just tired.”

  “Are you sure you’re not sick?” he questions, kicking his sneakers off and pulling off his shirt. I feel sluggish enough that the sight of his bare chest does nothing for me.

  “I don’t know,” I respond hesitantly. “I suppose I could be, but you know I don’t normally get sick.”

  Ollie’s lips turn down in concern, knowing I’m right.

  Growing up in foster care and then living on the streets gave us both a strong immune system. I mean, when you’re eating food out of a dumpster, you expose yourself to all kinds of germs.

  “Should you see a doctor?” he asks.

  The thought of seeing a doctor in a foreign country is enough to make me want to break out in hives. “I’ll be okay,” I tell him. “I think I need to sleep it off.”

  He doesn’t look convinced. “Do you want me to get you some soup?”

  My stomach rolls. “No, thanks.” I shake my head.

  “Talia,” he says my name sternly. “Something’s wrong.”

  “I’ll be fine in the morning,” I say.

  I don’t know who I’m trying to convince, me or himself—I guess it doesn’t matter since neither of us believe me.

  He shakes his head. “I’m going to go shower. If you need something just yell.”

  I nod and smile appreciatively. Once he’s gone, I force my tired body off the bed and change into my pajamas. I think about all the things I should do, like eat, and move our bags, and take a bath and—I don’t want to do any of it. So I get back in bed, this time getting beneath the covers. I pull the sheets up to my chin and lie on my side.

  Ollie comes back into the room a few minutes later and looks at me worriedly.