3:30pm May 30th, 1996
"Are we packed?" Harry asked his wife.
Rita zipped up the last remaining luggage and gave him a bright smile, "Now we are."
Harry had been giving hints about the location of their honeymoon. He had told Rita that he would be gone for a few days to make sure that the place they were going to stay would be perfect. He called her over a satellite phone each day and gave her ideas of the place.
"Alright," Harry opened the front door, "I have the boat in the canal."
"The boat? We're going to Green Island, aren't we?" Rita enthusiasm dropped slightly.
"That's where I've been the past few days." Harry reassured as he locked the door.
"What do you mean? What would you be doing there?" She looked confused.
"Dad came with me and…" Harry stopped, "I'll let you see it when we get there."
Rita began to open her mouth, but she decided not to ask anything more.
"Alright then." She concluded as she walked around the canal with luggage in hand. Harry rushed over and gentlemanly followed Rita onto the boat.
She sat down on the white leather seats and patiently waited for him to start up the engine. The boat made a low pitched reve as Harry pulled it out into the center of the canal, he turned the boat around and lead it out of the water channels.
"Great, now all I need's a bottle of champagne with you and we'll be set." Harry chuckled. Rita smiled and stood up.
"Actually, I'll go down and get it." She said as she made her way down the steps.
She poked her head in the small room and opened the cabinet under the loads of fishing gear. She pulled out the one bottle they saved at the end of their wedding.
"Are you alright with having a glass while you're steering?" Rita asked to double check.
Harry looked at her, "You know I don't get drunk with one glass."
Rita tilted her head, "I know, just checking."
He smiled, "That's why I can trust you." He gave her a kiss on the cheek.
As they got further out to sea, Rita saw splashes, not big enough to be made by the boat. She scooted over on the seat and looked over the rail.
"Deyella!" Rita cheerfully exclaimed as she watched a pod of dolphins jump on the surface.
"What?" Harry asked her.
"Deyella and her pod. Dolphins." She cleared up. "I'm gonna talk to her."
"This is something you don't see everyday." Harry said under his breath. He slowed down the boat a little while Rita made clacking and clicking noises with her mouth.
"This is probably not the weirdest thing I'm ever gonna see my wife do." He said in astonishment of what was happening. After a minute of this, Rita turned around to Harry, "She said that their pod will be hanging around the island while they wait for the rest of the group to join them in a few of days."
He sat in silence for a moment, "Oh my god, I'm married to a mermaid."
"You already knew that, silly." She lightly tapped Harry's thigh and continued to talk. Rita turned around once more, "Oh, is it alright if I jump in?"
"Yeah, I'll just take this down a few notches and you won't have to worry about where it is."
"Thanks, honey." She kissed him and jumped onto the deck. She climbed onto the side of the boat and with Harry watching from above, she dove into the water.
"Harry!" Rita called out from the lagoon. He had just docked the boat four minutes before she arrived with the dolphins. He came out from the room on the deck and waved to her. She said her quick goodbyes and swam over to the shore. Harry carried the luggage onto the beach as she dried herself off. She ran over to him, "I'll carry that, don't hurt yourself." She picked up her bag and followed behind her husband.
"The house is that way." He said as he pointed towards the West side of the jungle.
"Does it have a door?" She teased.
Harry started to walk through the jungle. He looked for the yellow spots of paint on the side of the trees to mark a path.
"So you and your dad built what we're going to be staying in?" Rita asked as she stepped over a plant.
"Yeah, it's much finer than what you think." Harry responded.
"And you know what I'm thinking?" Rita raised her eyebrow.
"I know you think it's a crappy shack." He laughed.
"Do not!" She defended sheepishly.
There was a moment of silence between them.
"Well, here it is." He pointed up to the canopy. Rita saw a beautiful tree house with stairs climbing up the trunk. She gasped in amazement at the sight. She couldn't believe that this was what Harry and his father made.
"How long did this take you?" Rita asked.
"I've been coming down here when you were gone and I was off. I've taken Dad along only a few times, but he helped out. I was just planning to build it before we got married." He explained.
Rita glanced at him, "Because you wanted it as our special hideaway? Aww."
"No, because you wouldn't let me build something like this after we became husband and wife." He said quickly.
Rita mouth dropped, "Are you kidding me?! Thanks a lot." She smacked his shoulder.
"Ow! I was joking." He continued forward toward the treehouse. She calmed down and followed after.
"Maybe." He added with a small chuckle. Rita rolled her eyes.
The two ascended up the fleet of wooden stairs and opened the door. The room was decorated with elegant flowers and vines. The desk, chair, and bed frame were all hand made and varnished. Rita went about the room stroking each object with one hand. Harry smiled as she looked around.
"Swiss Family Robinson feel?" He leaned against the door frame.
"Isn't that...that movie I watched with you about that family in a treehouse?"
He nodded.
"Then yes." She responded.
Rita sat down on the bed.
"Also, it's a new mattress." He said.
She looked at the sheets and laid down to test it out. "It's really comfy." Harry nodded.
She stood up and walked to him, "My breath...is truly taken away." She nodded with one more glance around. She kissed his lips and smiled. Harry placed his bag on the floor next to hers.
"So, do you wanna relax? In the meantime I can go fishing just to add to the stuff I packed on the boat." He asked.
Rita thought for a moment, "I'm fine right now. Actually, I wanna fish with you."
"You're gonna do it mermaid style anyway, I'll just help hold the fish." He shrugged.
"Alright, I'll wait while you find your swimming trunks." She said.
"Thanks."