The music returns, and I sit down.
She hands me a cup of coffee and holds her fry jack to my mouth. "Eat."
I take a bite then wash it down with coffee. "I think I'm getting addicted to these things."
"Good, huh?"
"Mm-hmm."
She gives me another piece, and we sit quietly, gazing at the water for several moments.
The announcements come back on, and the beep once again makes her jump.
"Flower, we should stay here today."
A line forms between her eyes. "No. We're going."
"I just think—"
"I'll try harder not to jump! I'm sorry!"
"You don't need to apologize."
Great. Now I'm giving her anxiety about when she's startled.
Her eyes fill with tears. "Don't turn this into a prison."
"I'm not trying to."
"If you keep me here when I want to leave, you are. Don't do that, please. I want to enjoy this room and view and us here together. I don't want to feel like I'm trapped."
"I'm sorry. That isn't my intention, I swear."
"I know it's not. And if you told me it wasn't safe for us to leave this room, I could handle it. But if it is safe, then I need to try and be normal."
I should have told her it isn't safe.
Then I would be lying to her.
But maybe it isn't.
There's no reason for me to think that.
"Okay, but if it's too much, will you promise to tell me so we can come back?"
"Yes. I promise."
"Okay. Can we at least wait an hour to give people time to get off the ship?"
She smiles. "Sure."
I put my coffee down and pat my thigh. "Come here, then."
She sits on my lap.
"I think I have a goal to meet."
"What's that?"
"I think I'm capable of a ten."
She softly laughs, and we spend the next hour lip to lip.
"Am I a ten yet?"
"Hmmm... I think you need to keep trying today."
"Ouch. You're killing my ego."
"Or maybe I just like the benefits of the practice sessions."
"That's better."
She rises and holds out her hand. "Come on. Let's go check out this ship."
My stomach flips. "Don't hesitate to tell me when you're ready to come back."
"I won't. Stop worrying."
We leave the room and walk hand in hand down the hall. "Elevator or stairs?" I ask.
"Stairs if you're up for it?"
"Sure."
We walk several flights to the deck. Vanessa takes a few deep breaths. A few people are sunbathing on loungers and others are hanging out in the pool, but it's pretty cleared out.
"See, this isn't bad," she says.
"Faron was right. There aren't a lot of people here."
We continue to the back of the ship, where the adult-only section is. Only a handful of people are in it.
"Okay, this is where we are spending the day." Vanessa grabs several towels from the station. She trots over to a plush cabana in front of the windows. It overlooks the water, and she arranges the towels on the bed. "What time is it?"
I glance at my watch. "Eleven."
"Is it too early for fruity frozen drinks?"
"You really love those, huh?"
"Yep."
I bend down and kiss her. "If that's what you want, that's what you shall get."
"Good, I want—"
"Can I get you two anything?" a deep voice booms.
Vanessa jumps, and I tug her closer, then turn.
"Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you. It gets a tad boring on days we dock, since not many people stay on board."
"It's okay. We were just discussing frozen fruity drinks."
"We have great ones. I'm Ned."
"Hi, Ned. What's your favorite one?" She beams.
"Lava flow."
"Great. Bring us two, please."
"Do you want food menus?"
"We had breakfast not long ago," I tell him.
"Okay. Two lava flows coming up." He leaves.
Vanessa lays down and pats the seat next to her. "Take your shirt off and stay a while."
I obey and lie next to her. She turns on her side, facing me. "It's nice in here. Aren't you glad we left the room?"
"As long as you're happy, so am I."
She traces my armband tattoo. "What made you join the Marines?"
"There wasn't much going on where I grew up. I wanted to do something exciting that meant something, but I didn't know what. A recruiter came to my high school, and it sounded like an opportunity to do something good with my life, so I signed up."
"So, your dad wasn't military?"
"No. I didn't see much of my dad."
"Why not?"
"Here you go. Is there anything else I can get you?" The waiter sets our drinks down on the side table.
"I think we're good." I hold up my wristband for him to scan and sign my passport name on the screen.
He sets menus down. "I'll leave these here in case you get hungry later."
"Great, thanks."
He leaves, and I hand Vanessa her drink.
"Cheers." She clinks my glass, and we take a sip. "Mmm, this is so good."
"Not bad."
"Okay, so tell me why you didn't see much of your dad."
I shrug. "My parents divorced when I was six. My father moved across the country, and I only saw him every few years."
She puts her hand on my arm. "That must have been hard."
"Is what it is."
"Where in the U.S. are you from?"
"A small town in Indiana."
"Does your mom still live there?"
My gut twists. "She passed a few years ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
I take another sip of my drink.
"Do you have siblings?"
"No. What about you?"
She gazes at the sea for several moments. She turns back, and her eyes glisten. "I have three brothers, and my parents are still alive. Not that they want anything to do with me."
"Why?"
"Carlos drove a wedge between us all. We had a big fight, and my family said I needed to leave him. They tried to tell me he was controlling. My best friend, Mary, did, too. But I didn't want to listen, and Carlos began sabotaging things between us."
"How?"
"The little things that frustrated me about my family, he would blow up into a bigger deal than they were. Anytime I had plans, something more important would come up that I was required to be at with him. When my family would be upset about me missing our event, he would stir the pot. He insisted they didn't understand the importance of what his role for the country was and the sacrifice we needed to make."
"This was before or after you knew about the Global Leaders?"
"Before. He waited until I had no family or friends left before he brought me into that."
"So, what happened with your family?"