Page 92 of Something Blue

If we don’t want to cook, there are little beach restaurants, tables in the sand, that serve massive platters of prawns and calamari, drenched in butter and accompanied by cocktails in coconut shells.

At night we lie out on the wooden deck listening to the waves crash against the shore.

“I can’t wait for tomorrow.” Neve says. She hasn’t stop smiling since we arrived.

“It’s a long walk, the first day. Our jungle guide is going to drop us at the first stop and go to anearby village until morning. We’ll be alone in the middle of the jungle.”

“It’s so exciting.” She grins wiggling in my arms. “Do you think that on the way back we can visit the village and spend a night with the locals?”

“I’m sure they’d be happy to show us their home.” I say, leaning down to kiss her.

Over the next five days we hike through jungles, up rivers that never end, swimming with massive fish that nibble at our arms and legs and make Neve scream. We see entire bushes covered in butterflies that all flutter away when we shake the leaves. We find elephants, roaming free and calm deep in the jungles. We meet native people along the way and share food with them.

We stand underneath massive, heavy waterfalls and let the streams pound against our bodies.

At night we sleep beneath a sky full of stars, orunder a tent made of mesh to keep the bugs out. We smell like earth and salt and fresh air.

Our skin is tanned, and our smiles are wider than ever before.

About a week into our adventure I have a surprise waiting for Neve at our next camp.

We arrive early in the afternoon and Neve gasps when she sees the cabin, a hot tub, an outdoor shower and an outdoor fit put. The cabin is simple, but luxurious compared to the last few days.

Our guide leaves us for the night, smiling and bowing before he makes his way to his own site.

“This is sneaky.” Neve giggles, dumping her back pack at the door of the cabin. We go inside and they have prepared the place as I asked them to.

There is fresh fruit, food for us to cook on the open flames, custard cakes for dessert, candles everywhere and a bottle of champagne.

Outside they have already started the fire that heats the tub and there are rose petals floating in the scented water.

“Let’s soak for a while, afterwards we can make some food.” I suggest.

Neve doesn’t wait - she strips her clothes off.

I chuckle and start doing the same. Fresh air against my skin is amazing. Neve looks like a wild child as she steps out of the cabin, into the jungle, wearing nothing at all.

We soak all afternoon, the water staying warm because of the fire and our muscles loving the heat. Between the trees above us the stars come out and the moon shines bright and full.

Neve drifts over to me in the water.

“Celso.” She says. “This is better than I could ever have dreamed it would be.”

“I wouldn’t want to be here with anyone else in the entire world.” I grin. “One day we will be telling our grandchildren about this.”

She tilts her head to the side. “You want kids?” She asks, surprised. I pull her close to me, letting her lie in the hot water with her back against my chest and my legs wrapped on either side of her. We both stare up towards the night sky.

“If you do. I am happy either way. We can have a massive family, or it can be you and me forever. But if we have kids, it’ll only be later, after a ton of these adventures.”

“I agree.” She grins, snuggling against me. “We have so much time to decide these things. It’s so amazing to not have the future set in stone, to have options, to choose any direction.”

“Any direction as long as we are together.” I reach over the edge of the tub and pick up the small wooden box I’ve been carrying around with me. Waiting for this moment.

I set it down on her stomach and it floats a little in the water.

“What is this?” She asks, picking it up.

“Open it.” I whisper. My heart is beating fast. I’m nervous even though I’m sure I know what she will say when I ask. I made the choice to ask this time. I want her to choose this. Last time there was no choice, and I forced the situation and until I ask her, I will always wonder about it.

---