Sandcastles

We lay half naked under the splayed branches of a tree by the shore. The pale was now deeply bronzed, but we couldn't resist catching the sunshine reflected by the white sand onto our supine bodies.

As hubby slept, I took photos of our feet against the blue backdrop, our tanned toes breaking the serenity of the horizon. I would tell him later what I thought it meant, the two of us stepping into infinity.

The rustling of leaves was overpowered by the sound of a speeding boat, a parasail in tow. Five, ten, fifteen, twenty minutes. The sound of the engine stopped, and the blot of bright orange against the blue expanse floated gently onto the waiting water.

I picked up my watch, half buried in the sand, its ticking more pronounced. I quickly shoved it aside and blocked the nagging thought of counting down the days when we'll come crashing down back to reality.