'Yes, we can.' She answered, her soft breath on his chest. 'If you want to.'

'I'd like to sleep holding my beautiful wife.' Squeezing her middle to emphasise the word beautiful.

They moved into a more comfortable sleeping position, still holding each other.

'Actually, no.' 'I would like to hold your hand instead, can we lie like we did before?'

His wife answered him by moving to lie on her back, holding her delicate hand out for him to hold.

Settling down, he grabbed her hand and laid it in between them, holding on tightly as if he feared he'd topple over somehow.

'I like this, I shall lie here and think of the sea, try to smell the salty air, hear the rolling of the waves.'

'Charles you wonderful man.' She sounded happy but Charles couldn't help but hear her slight sniffling.

'What is it Els?' He asked her, caressing her hand with his thumb.

'I thought of our day at the beach when we last held hands like this, to know that you are thinking the same now, it, it means a great deal to me.' She croaked.

'It was that day I found I could not deceive myself any longer.'

'Oh my dear man, I love you.'

'I love you too.' He lifted up their hands and gave hers a goodnight kiss. 'And it was that day I admitted it to myself.'

They drifted of to sleep. Dreaming of blue oceans and skies.

The sunlight hit Elsie's face and she wakes up to Charles opening the curtains.

He stand easily in just his pants, rubbing his hands together, gazing out of the window. A smile on his handsome features.

Elsie sits up against the headboard drawing the sheets up to her neck, moving her pillow behind her back.

Charles turns on her movements, 'Good morning darling.' He says, 'It's a lovely day.'

'Good morning, maybe we could spend some time in our garden before it gets too hot out there.'

'I'd like that.' He walked back to the bed and sat down next to her, Elsie moving the sheets so he could slip under them, then tucking him in neatly.