Page 29 of Restoration
I’m not sure why it comes back to me this morning as I’m lying in our little hut with only a towel between my body and the hard floor. But I relive it in my mind a couple of times before I finally roll over so I’m facing Edmund.
He’s still asleep on his side, facing me. He’s rumpled and unshaven, and he’s wearing nothing but his boxer briefs. If it weren’t for his suntan, he would look a lot like that day he was sick.
“It’s quite unnerving to be awakened by the full force of your stare,” Edmund mutters dryly without opening his eyes.
I choke on a surprised laugh. “Sorry.”
His eyes are genuinely beautiful—a deep, melting brown. They’re soft and questioning and amused when he finally opens them to look at me. “What was so intriguing that you had to stare at me first thing in the morning?”
I can hardly admit I was remembering him all sick and pitiful and yet still himself, much less that I was feeling all fluttery about it. “It was nothing. I just opened my eyes, and you were there.”
“Story of my life too,” he says with a groan, sitting up and rubbing at his face. “You were probably lying there, worrying and wondering how you were going to drag me through this ordeal.”
“I wasn’t thinking anything of the kind!”
He slants a curious look at my indignant tone. “Haven’t you been dragging me through life for the last six years?”
“No, I haven’t. And you’ve been just as helpful as I have since we’ve been stuck on this island. If not more so. Not to mention that you very clearly saved me from drowning in the ocean. So don’t you dare act like you’re useless.”
He stares at me, motionless, for several seconds. Longer than is entirely comfortable. Then he swallows visibly. Gives a little nod. And mutters, “Understood.”
***
I’M SERIOUS ABOUT MAKINGsure we take care of Edmund’s feet, so I don’t let him go into the forest that morning even just to grab a few coconuts. And I nag at him whenever he tries to walk around too much—even on the soft sand—so eventually he gives up and lounges on a towel on the beach.
I get the coconuts for the day and manage to break them open on the rock, then fill our bowls with water from the stream and bring them back to our camp. And I check our big SOS and straighten up the loose shells and rocks to keep the edges clean.
After that, there’s not much else to do.
If we’re here long enough, we’ll have plenty of projects to work on—building a better shelter, searching for food, brainstorming on making or finding other necessities. But none of that feels essential for today, and I definitely don’t want to start any of those tasks now, not when I’ve made it clear Edmund isn’t allowed to help because of his injured feet.
So by midmorning, I spread a towel out next to him and settle on it in an attempt to relax.
It’s going to be a really long day.
People dream of lying around on the beach without a single thing to do, but those fantasies always include books or phones or music orsomethingto help pass the time.
Edmund and I have the rest of the day without anything to do at all.
“I guess we could catch up on sleep,” Edmund murmurs as if he’s been reading my mind.
“Yeah.” The sun feels good right now—warm and pleasant and tempered by the morning breeze—but after lunch I’m going to have to move into the shade. Even with the sunscreen I apply religiously twice a day, if I lie in the sun all afternoon, I’m going to get burned. “I suppose so. It shouldn’t be too bad for a couple of days at least.”
“Hopefully by then they’ll have found us.”
“Yeah.”
He must hear something in my voice. “You shouldn’t give up hope so quickly.”
“I haven’t given up hope. I’m just not as naturally optimistic as you are. Life hasn’t always fallen into place for me the way I want it.”
He turns his head to peer at me. “Your life hasn’t been that bad, has it?”
Because he sounds concerned, I’m honest with him. “No. It’s not been that bad.”
“Your parents were okay, weren’t they? And you have a sister?”
“Yes to both. My parents were pretty good. Stupid for their investments, but they loved us and they tried. And my sister is six years younger than me. We’ve always been fairly close, but it’s not like we’re best friends or anything.”