Page 45 of Kiss me Forever

“You make it look so dang easy,” I tell him as I mess up again. I mimic his same actions, but my cast comes out clumsy. I’ll get this by the time we leave because I’m determined, and I don’t fail when I want to learn something new. I try again and do much better.

“I think I’m getting it,” I excitedly tell him. For every good cast I have, I do ten bad ones, but that number will change directions soon enough.

“That’s perfect, babe,” he tells me, pride shining in his eyes. It doesn’t matter what I do, he’s impressed. I pray this lasts a lifetime. I believe it will.

We catch fish which our chef will prepare for our dinner tonight. There’s something incredibly satisfying in catching our own dinner. We might have to farm next because there’s nothing better than fresh from the land or sea and straight to the table. I definitely want chickens after eating the fresh eggs here. It’s a world of difference in flavor.

Our morning passes in a blur of laughter and gentle teasing as we catch more fish. By noon we decide to take a break and cool off. We change into our swimsuits and jump into the crystal-clear water for a swim. I so wish our ocean was this warm and gorgeous back in Seattle. It’s not fun to swim in at all. We can always jet down to Catalina Island though where the water is much more inviting. Maybe it’s not this wonderful, but it’s a heck of a lot closer than Greece . . . unfortunately.

The slight coolness of the water is a refreshing contrast to the hot sun of Greece, and we play for a while like children, all of our cares in the world disappearing for our entire honeymoon, not that we have any real problems. How can we, when we live in a perfect bubble with no chance of ever popping?

When we’re done playing in the water, we head back to the yacht and the captain pulls up the anchor and we set sail for Santorini. The iconic whitewashed buildings with their blue-domed roofs are so much more breathtaking in person than in pictures. I’ve never been surrounded by such beauty. I feel incredibly blessed.

The captain sets the anchor again and then we take the small attached boat to the docks. We spend the evening wandering through the narrow, winding streets, sampling the local delicacies from street vendors, and marveling at everything we see. I can’t look in enough places at once.

“Let’s just stay here forever,” I suggest.

“Anything you want,” he tells me. “I’ll warn you though that mama will hunt us down.”

I laugh at this. “Not just mom, but your sister and Livie as well. I think they’d send the mafia out for us.”

“I have no doubt about it. I think we can get away with a month, though,” he tells me.

“Oh, that sounds heavenly, but then Julie will be so big by then. Maybe two weeks,” I suggest.

“Whatever you like,” he again says.

“If I would’ve known how accommodating you were I never would’ve run from you in the beginning,” I tell him as I pull him into my arms and kiss him in the streets of Greece. A new romance book is being written with each new adventure we take together.

“I’m your willing slave,” he tells me.

“And I’m yours,” I assure him.

Magnus next takes me on a ride on a donkey that has me giggling and slightly afraid as we move up the steep paths to the Oia where we get to watch an incredible sunset from the cliffside, the sky painted in hues of pink and orange. Absolutely breathtaking.

Our ride back down is lit by soft lights, and I find myself sleepy as I lean on him on our ride back to the yacht. It’s one more perfect day in a perfect week. For the first time we fall asleep together without making love, blissfully tired and fully in love. Holding each other is as beautiful as making love.

The next day we explore the ancient ruins of Delos, one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece. This is a real treat as I had no idea this place existed before our honeymoon. Walking hand in hand with Magnus through the remnants of temples and statues is indescribable. I can’t imagine what life here was like thousands of years ago. It’s hard for me to believe how ancient this place truly is.

When living in a country as young as America, we don’t realize how long people have roamed this planet. Magnus is just as fascinated by all of the beauty and history as I am. It makes it that much more fun to see it all. We spend hours absorbing the rich history while we take countless photos to show our friends and family, and to look back upon to remember this wonderful adventure.

In the late afternoon, we take a cooking class together in Mykonos, learning to make traditional Greek dishes like moussaka and spanakopita that are surely going to impress Isabella. I can’t wait to show her my cooking skills. Of course Magnus is a natural in the kitchen growing up with his mother, but I’m a quick learner, and I’m getting it faster than I thought possible.

The two of us laugh our way through the process, clearly honeymooners, making the others with us laugh along as they make comments about how adorable we are, and the women praise my beautiful ring. I can’t believe it’s on my finger, can’t believe how magical this all is.

Each dish we create is better than the last, and our chef, Maria, is encouraging and impressed with our progress. I’m sure she says this to all who step into her kitchen though. The best part is she sends the recipes home with us. I can perfect them before making them for Isabella and Bianca.

On our next day we go snorkeling near the island of Naxos. The underwater world is a kaleidoscope of colors with vibrant coral reefs and schools of fish darting all around us. When Magnus points out a sea turtle gracefully moving through the water, I gasp, nearly taking in water I’m so excited. We follow behind it for a while, utterly mesmerized by this underwater world.

We have more adventures, taking a day trip to the volcanic island of Milos where we rent ATV’s to explore the rugged terrain. We find secluded beaches with crystal-clear waters and dramatic cliffs perfect to dive from. My daring husband tries to get me to take the plunge with him, but I hesitate until I see him do it first, holding my breath the entire time he goes down. When he pops back out of the water with a big smile, relief fills me, and I force myself not to be a chicken. We hold hands as we jump from the cliff together, the thrill of it taking my heart into my throat. I’m laughing as I emerge from the water, though, happy I’m not letting fear rule me.

We decide that’s enough thrills for the day, though, as we float around in the water for a while, constantly touching until we reach shallow water and Magnus pulls me to him, brushing my hair away from my face as he looks deeply into my eyes.

“I want to explore the entire world with you. I’ve come to many places, but never allowed myself to truly see it until being with you.”

“I’m glad I waited to come until I was with you because you make it magical. Promise me we’ll never wake up from this dream,” I tell him.

“I promise. We need to travel so you have plenty to write about. We might just have to bring our loved ones with us so we can be gone for months. As long as we’re all together we can be anywhere.”

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