Chapter 35

Eight o’clock came early as the alarm went off for the first time on their trip.

“Oh, God, what time did we finally get to sleep?” Selena asked.

“It was after one. I’ll put on coffee and you start emptying the closets and drawers. I’ll lay out the suit cases.” Joe said dragging himself out of the bed.

“We’re REALLY leaving?”

“Sad to say, but yes. I think we accomplished what we wanted here. Decompressing and getting time for just us. I’m ready to continue with life as we had it.” Joe said as he waited to make sure Selena actually got up.

“There is a little part of me that is anxious to get back to work. My brain has been on hold for too long. I have to call Ross from the boat. He’s going to come with a car to meet us at the airport, you know.” She said as she started to gather their things.

“Briefing?” Joe called from the kitchen.

“Sadly, yes. I don’t want to have to sit in on the Sunday Night Letter cold. God, my mind is going a mile a minute already. I’m addicted to work. How can I love and hate something so much?” She asked rhetorically.

“Because you can’t fully control it but, you react to control what you can.” Joe called out.

“Joey, you’re so damn smart. That’s it in a nutshell. I think I’m controlling it, but I’m just controlling what they deal.” She said to no one in particular as she filled her arms with clothes.

She turned and Joe was standing right there.

“I heard that, I know you think I’m smart. I can only say I was smart enough to listen to you when you wanted to see me. That’s what made me smart.” He said kissing her.

“Don’t start up, or else we’ll be screwing on the pile of clothes.” She said giggling.

“As good as that sounds...” He said turning to get the cases from the storage shed by the deck.

By 9:20 the cases were stacked on the patio and they were ready to leave. They looked over to Odalys cottage and she was in the doorway waving, nude of course. Joe and Selena laughed and waved as they saw Gregory coming around the bend to gather them.

By 1:30 they were taxiing up the runway and Joe watched out the window and felt the roar of the 737 engines and looked to Selena and said “Velocity!”

She answered “Rotate gyro!” Just as the nose lifted off the runway and they were airborne.

“We’re going back to our life Joey. Imagine just a few months ago we were both cooped up behind locked doors with no idea what the future was and no idea where either of us were.” Selena said as she hugged up to his arm to dream as they rose above the light clouds and were, indeed, on the way home.