We wake in a tangle of sheets, warm and happy I mentally dedicate today to simple pleasures.
It is a beautiful Saturday, the early morning sky splashed with fluffy white clouds illuminated by the warm sunshine. I breathe in deeply, enjoying feeling my body and mind in a relaxed state, no conflict to face, no back to back appointments, no pressure and no finely timed plans.
Just me and her.
I smile to myself as I pull on my tight jeans, slip on my loose white tee and finish my outfit with ‘one million’ Paco Robanne scent, her favourite. I love how her pupils dilate and her smile gives away what she is thinking as I walk towards her, she's looking stunning and relaxed, legs outstretched on her chase couch. Her hair is out, curls falling loosely around her face, green eyes watching me intently, curves captured in her singlet and retro jeans.
I take her hand and pull her up towards me and she wraps her arms around me, pressing my body against hers, I whisper in her ear how stunning she is and kiss her. It feels like electricity is coursing through me as I touch her, I know if we stand here any longer we won't leave, I'm tempted to push her back down on the couch and kiss her deeper, I think she feels the same, we both look at each other a laugh, reading each others minds.
We escape into the sunshine and walk to our favourite coffee shop, as we stroll along the path she pulls me to her, her arm around me holding my hip, there's something so free about being out together like this, so simple and easy. I always want to freeze frame and capture those little moments that make me feel on top of the world.
As we walk in, the smell of the freshly ground beans makes our mouths water, there's so many grinds to choose from, we settle on a rich, cherry based Brazilian coffee and it is not long that the surge of caffeine from our bowl sized cups make us even more motivated to squeeze all the goodness out of today.
I have finally let go of my people pleasing workaholic tendencies and decided to give my guilty conscious a day off as well. I figure you only live once and I intend on making it count. Lost in thought as I drive, I mentally kick myself that this is my first whole day off in months, so long that I can't remember today's date, it's about time I was honest about how I want to live my life. I shake my head at myself as I curve the car up the breathtakingly beautiful uphill road to get to the national park and the calm ocean bay.
The gentle swaying trees make me feel connected to nature. The cliff face along side the road is like an artists drawing, displaying boldly crashing ocean, careless waves throwing themselves with wild abandonment against smooth ocean polished rocks, shaped and created by the constant battering.
I'm aware that she's watching me, observing and drinking me in. I know she loves contemplating me as I drive, tinted windows giving us a feeling of being secluded in our own little safe place. So much of me wants to put the world on hold, just spend every moment encased with her.
I feel overwhelmingly lucky to be with her, considering the situation. I mentally kick myself again for dragging my thoughts about the many tragic realities into this perfect, unspoilt day. She is pulling an inquisitive facial expression at me, making me laugh, she's trying to understand what I'm thinking, she's so caring and I feel like I want to spend the rest of my life showing her how incredible she is.
We park and both sigh and smile at each other at the sight of the ocean. I lean against the car and watch her go through her pre-surfing ritual, surf board out, slowly taking off her clothes only just hidden by her towel around her beautiful waist. Wetsuit pulled on like a second skin and long curls pulled back tightly. I watch her face, she has such focus, seems even like a meditative state, psyching herself up for the surf. I smile as I watch her, gentle and precise as she waxes her board.
Ritual completed, she gracefully carries her 5ft11 short board against her hip, fins in and leg rope neatly around the end. So many blends of tidy control contrasted with wild freedom in this girl, she is the most intriguing person.
She's out in the surf, I am soaking in sunlight on the rocks and we are both blissfully unaware of the rumbling world turning with out us. I love watching her surf, she is extremely talented and she connects to the ocean like she belongs to it, trusts it and her movements honour each unique wave.
She paddles onto a right hander, she stands up with such swift ease I barely see it, she curves her body on her board, dipping, twisting and controlling the board with her hips as she moves along the length of the wave. I watch in anticipation, held breath and in complete awe at her slashing at the waves green wall, speeding down the face then whipping an agile manoeuvre at the top lip.
The wave closes out and she leaps off the back dramatically and heads back out for more.