The feeling of her hand in mine causes a sensation I could never hope to put into words. I cherish the way the sea breeze rustles her curls, how she runs from the foaming tide and into my arms. After an eternity apart, I have come to relish in the simplest of things. Every insignificant word becomes momentous, each small touch or caress could last a lifetime.
She squeals my name as the green water licks her feet. My arms instinctively open for her, and we mold together. She fits so perfectly against my chest and it is here, with her close and safe, that I long to stay forever. But she pulls away, only our fingers still touching. Laughing, she tows me into the shallow waters before quickly retreating back to the rocky shore, me in her wake.
The scar along my chest remains the only physical sign of our time away, but many are hidden beyond the surface. Each time she melts into my arms again, I am startled and fight the urge to pinch myself – just to make sure this isn't a dream, to make sure she isn't a dream. If she were to leave me now, it would be an unimaginable nightmare. Each time we are separated, if only briefly, thousands of images fly through my mind. Little girls, the personification of innocence, lifeless amidst the tall grass, their apple cheeks bloodied. Heroes with bandaged heads and absent limbs singing the songs of our country and of our freedom. Only now do I recognize how close I was to death, how easily I could have lost her. In the end, it was her and only her who pulled me through. I will spend an eternity in debt to her.
In this isolated place, with a small cottage acting as the only sign of civilization, I am overwhelmed in my love for her, drowning in it. After endless hours of imagining this place where I now stand, it feels as though I'm in heaven. And I must be. As long as we are here, she and I, nothing can ever go wrong. Lost years - filled with lies and the corresponding atonement - I could take many more of those if I knew I had this to look forward to.
"Goodbye, ole chap," A voice croaks, and I feel chubby fingers lightly stroke my fiery forehead. I feel myself began to fade, crawling towards an end. As I do so, all I see is Cecilia, smiling back at me as she runs into the waves.
Author's Note: I wrote this piece in about 20 minutes, and I wrote it just for me. It's my first attempt at writing something for this book/movie. Atonement is probably my favorite film and the final scene is the one that moves me the most. I'm not quite sure if my snapshot makes sense, though. It is supposed to be so that Robbie, just as he dies, feels as though he is at the beach with Cee and the hole in his chest repaired. Personally, I think the wound Robbie endures during the war is a metaphor for his missing Cecilia, the hole in his chest caused by being separated from Cee. Or at least I'll pretend! I hope you enjoyed it. Please rate, review, and check out my other pieces. Thanks again for reading!