Chapter Ten,
Sunset
That evening, repair work had began in town. On the other side of the island, where a small group of boys made a stand against the invaders, victims were buried and heroes were honored.
The doctor declared Dominic would live, as long as we changed the bandages regularly and gave him plently of fluids so he would not be dehydrated from blood loss. The wound had been severely aggravated from stumbling all the way to town, but it only prolonged the healing process, not stopped it. I watched over him for the rest of the afternoon and left him very little time to be bored, confined to bedrest and no movement. I read to him, rearranged the three peices of furniture to make him laugh, and brought back trinkets from town to entertain him.
That night, when Dominic felt very faint with fiery pain and sick to his stomach, the Doctor told me to help him outside for a little fresh air.
Propped in a chair with three blankets, Dominic concentrated on the sky above, and long blue horizon stretching to eternity, trying to focus on something other than the throbbing wound.
"How is your eye?" Dominic asked.
I peeked at him. "The swelling has gone down, but it well be gray and blue for awhile yet."
"I'm so thankful this was the only scar you received," Dominic said seriously. "If the Captain hadn't shown up, and the men..."
"Stop, please," I said softly, putting a finger to his lips. "It's alright. It's all over. Nothing happened...I'm fine."
He shook his head. "It may not be over, though..."
"We'll be better prepared next time," I laughed. "Don't worry about the future. It will take care of itself. Right now, we're together just like we're supposed to be."
"Very cliche, Mrs. Gonzales." Dominic chuckled contentedly.
"Oh, just watch the sunset, Dom." I joked in an annoyed voice. "Let's just...I don't know...savor the moment."
And so we did.
The yellow orb lowered itself in the sky, dipping behind the purple curtain of clouds. The red sky lit on and off, stars beginning to twinkle in the heights. A calming, rhythmic washing of waves filled the silence, the blue surf riding the sand in, and out..in, and out...
I laid my head on his shoulder while Dominic took my hand gently. And together, we watched the sun set, our hearts full of gratitude for eachother and for life.