3/23/11

All Can't Have Paradise
By Mandi M. Lynch


There they were, at the end of the best vacation ever, sitting on the wooden pier and staring out at the boardwalk. Joellen couldn’t believe that the blue sunset in front of her was for her - nature’s gift on her twenty first birthday. She snuggled closer to her boyfriend and looked out at the calm water. Yeah, this was paradise.
“So, you like Alicante?” he asked her finally.
“I love it. I can’t believe we have to leave.”
“Well, you know, it’s always here.”
She sighed. Sure, they lived four hours away, but, you know, they lived four hours away. “Yeah, but it’s not like we’ll be back any time soon.”
“Do you ever wonder what you’ll do with your life?” he asked her, taking her hand and pulling her even closer to him. “I mean, we’re grown up now, you know?”
“Graduation behind us,” she agreed, although it seemed surreal. It wasn’t that long ago that they were walking down the aisle at graduation, black gowns, black caps, swinging tassels and folders with diplomas carried in their arms.
“I was thinking. You know that run down house we passed when we were walking yesterday.” He spoke slowly, metering his words.
“The one with the sold sign on the front.”
“That’s the one and only,” he said. “You loved it.”
“Of course I did! Charm, character! I can just imagine a huge family and holiday dinners.”
“Well,” he started.
“I’m sure it’s beautiful inside…or was at some point.”
“It could be again.”
“I know. I’m so jealous of whoever bought it.”
He reached into his shirt pocket and removed something, which he thrust into her hand.
“A key?”
“Don’t be jealous of me.”
She gasped and twisted, staring him in the face, the full realization of the key finally hitting her. Not just any key, a house key. The key to the front door of the home of her dreams. “You? But..”
“Well, I was thinking I could start my own firm and run it out of the outbuilding. The driveway goes straight to it, and with these views, it would make an awesome office.” He had graduated with honors with an Architecture degree, which he planned to use on historic renovations and upgrades. “What better advertising than my own house in the very front?”
“You’ll be so busy!”
“Yeah, but I’ll have you.” He swallowed, then continued shakily, “I will have you, won’t I?”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes.”
She stuttered but didn’t really respond. “You.. “ It was all she could manage to say in the situation.
“I love you, Joellen. I want you and that house and my firm and a dog and three kids and everything that I could ever want.” They had had this conversation before, so his words weren’t really that surprising, but it still took her aback to see them all in such a list. He was so firm, so sure. She wished she could be like that.
“I… I love you too, Nick. But this… So much, so fast…” Her head was spinning and she couldn’t quite grasp what was going on.
“It’s okay. You’ve graduated, I’ve graduated. Why not start a life here? You can be a nurse here, can’t you?” He ran a finger down her arm, enjoying her bronzed skin and smooth flesh.
“Of course. I’m just surprised. You’ve always been… safe.” she said, finally ending the sentence with a cringe. Nobody wanted to be called safe, but it was true. This was the man that didn’t take chances. The man who had 911 ready to dial when a group of them had gone too long.
“This is safe, too. I’m investing in my future. I love you, so I want to invest in you. I need somewhere to live, so I have a house now. I’ll need somewhere to work, so I’ll need an office too.”
“There you go, always the safe one, so level headed.”
“You are, too.”
“No I’m not. I’m the crazy one. Always was, always will be.”
“You know that’s not true.”
“Sure it is, I mean, I’ve just graduated, I still have applications out, and now I’m running off to Alicante with some guy that I’ve been dating for four months to renovate my house.”
“It’s been longer than four months.”
“Okay, okay. Fourteen months. But four sounded better for the story.” Joellen blushed a little at that.
He kissed her on the tip of her nose, a joke between the two of them. “I love you.”
“You said that already,” she replied, laughing as she looked back to the blue of the wharf lights. “It’ll be a lot of work.”
“Anything worth having is worth working for,” he said.
She laughed again and threw her arms around him. “I love you.”
“That’s good,” he replied, sliding off the bench and down to her feet. He took to one knee and again reached into a pocket. “Just one more question…”
And she cried.
Paradise.


- - -
Mandi M. Lynch wrote her first short story contest at the age of 12. It took another fifteen years to repeat, but at least she knows the first time wasn't a fluke. Now, she organizes writers groups, mentors emerging writers, and runs her own lit mag. She lives in Nashville, TN, with three cats, none of which write due to lack of thumbs.