In between all the oohing and ahhing, there were some sweet exchanges between Timothy and me. Neither of the guys paid attention to what we were doing since they were busy watching anyone who got near us, so a few kisses, hugs, and verbal interactions made the morning even more special. Being with the one you are falling in love with and sharing everything, well, let’s just say, that I was feeling like those jelly fish, just drifting in the watery depths of wonder.
Timothy
I was learning why some men called their wives honey. It was for the sweetness of their presence, the way the right woman seemed to bathe everything in a bubble of delight: with a smile, a kiss, a soft laugh. Everything Penelope did ricocheted inside my soul bouncing happiness about. How could I have lived without her quiet song?
Of course, I had moments of disquiet. What if after our trip to San Diego, Penelope didn’t want me by her side? What if she grew tired of the trauma of men like Peters plaguing us, and even worse, what if she refused to join her life with mine? Could I endure a future without her?
Such dark thoughts only struck me now and then. I couldn’t dwell in such worry, not when I was soaking up her joyfulness, her great enthusiasm for everything she saw. She was the zenith of all I’d ever wished for. Because she was beside me at that moment, laughing over the antics of a silly seagull strutting away with a piece of ice cream cone, I inhaled deeply and centered her warm giggle deeper inside my soul.
Penelope
The sea turtles at Turtle Reef were just my cup of tea. It’s not like they were cute, but they were enormous and rather sweet. We got to touch them and feed them. They seemed gentler than the seals had been. But in defending the sea lions, those seals did have the most adorable whiskers, and barked just like dogs. Well, almost. The turtles didn’t do anything except take lettuce from our hands.
The turtles apparently had no speech, although Frank said they made a sound like a heavy yawn, emitting that sound in the water as a small eruption that came from their lungs. Perhaps they also blew some bubbles, but, in general, the turtles didn’t seem like you’d want to spend a lot of time with them, unless sea turtles were your thing.