Doris' mind raced, her brain desperately trying to process every sensation as it occurred. There was the scent of cologne that tickled her nostrils, the feeling of his body in contact with hers. His warm breath grazed against her ear, and the sound of his beating heart played in her other ear. Euphoria was on the horizon... they were so close. Then, the euphoria hit like a tidal wave. She would have come crashing down to reality, if it had not been for her husband's gentle kisses and tender touches to slowly wean her down from the emotional high. They collapsed in each others arms, both silent for a few moments, basking in the joy of the bond they had just shared.
"Darling, you were magnificent," Doris replied, as she continued to cling to the Skipper.
"You weren't so bad yourself," the Skipper said back.
Doris propped herself up on her arms and stared at him. "NOT SO BAD? What do you mean, not so bad? Judging from your comments, I'd say I was a bit more than not so bad."
"Sweetheart, I'm only teasing," he said, kissing the top of her head, "you were wonderful."
"Thank you," she replied, "you know, if you stick with me I might teach you a thing or two."
"Teach me a thing or two," he chuckled, "judging from your comments, I apparently don't need to learn a thing." He loved teasing her because she was such a good sport., She could always find a comeback to throw right back at him.
"Well then," she said, as she got up out of the bed and followed the beam of moonlight streaming into the room. She walked toward the window, staring out at the view. A soft breeze was blowing. Waves were crashing on the shore, and the sound of the sea gulls hovering over the ocean seemed to call out "This is your night, Doris. Don't waste a moment of it."
"This side of the island is so beautiful!" She exclaimed. "The view is absolutely gorgeous!"
"It most certainly is," the Skipper said, with a smile plastered on his face and placing his hands behind his head as he stared at Doris' nude form.
Doris turned around and wrinkled her nose at him. "I'm being serious," she said as she walked back to the bed and pulled on the Skipper's arm, "come on."
"Where are we going?" He asked.
"For a walk," Doris said, heading for the door.
"Doris, your clothes!"
"Oh come on, no one is around."
"DORIS!"
"Honey look, we are always talking about what we can't do here and what we can't have here that we had back home. This is something I can do here that I can't do back home... well, I wouldn't because I have neighbors."
"Doris, I know we are on the other side of the island... all alone, but an emergency could arise and one of the others might have to come running up here. If you don't mind, I think I'll at least wear a robe."
"You win. It's a good thing I packed some pajama's."
...
They walked hand in hand along the shore, allowing the water rush over their feet. The smell of sea salt and island flowers bombarded their senses of smell, reviving them to a new level of energy. As they sat down on the beach, the Skipper wrapped his arms around Doris. He held her tightly, almost as if he feared she were an illusion that might disappear at a moments noticed. They laughed, they talked, they kissed. Eventually, the Skipper's fear of being seen by someone had dissipated, as they ended up making love on the beach.
"That was... that was something else," the Skipper exclaimed with wide eyes, "I've done a lot of things in my life, but making love out in the open... that's a first for me."
"Me too," Doris exclaimed, "I guess we can't really count the night you proposed to me. We were only partially undressed... and well, you know how that turned out. I got cold feet and chickened out."
"It's alright. You were definitely worth waiting for," the Skipper really hadn't been referring to the sex, so much as he had referred to the fact that being single most of his life wasn't such a bad thing. If he had been married years before, he wouldn't have had the chance to reunite with Doris and fall in love all over again. It didn't matter that he was about halfway through his life and just married. However many years he had to spend with Doris was going to be counted as a blessing.
"If this is any indication of what our week is going be like up here, I may just want move here permanently," Doris teased.
"Take it easy. I'm not a young man anymore," the Skipper had warned her. "As it is, I'm not sure I've got the strength to walk back up to the hut." Doris looked at him in sympathy. He did look pale and weak. The poor man has used all of his energy on her. It suddenly dawned on her that ordeal he had went through just barely a month ago would affect him still for quite sometime. She felt badly for him. She knew he hated that he wasn't quite as strong as he had been before, nor did he have the energy. However, he did whatever he could do to continue to build his strength. If Doris had her way, she would annihilate every South Pacific Queen Hornet in existence.
"I'll try my best not to be quite so insatiable, However, I'm very much in love," she said as she leaned into him, kissing him once again. "We'll stay here as long as you need to."
"Thank you, sweetheart. I appreciate that."
...
Doris lay awake long after the Skipper had fallen asleep. She had helped him to walk up to the hut, then helped him into the bed. His eyes were closed almost before his head hit the pillow. She lay there listening to the sound of his snoring, knowing it was something she was going to have to get used to. It didn't matter to her. She would gladly give up a peaceful night's rest in exchange for having him near her for the rest of her life. Maybe, once they were rescued, she could work the night shift and sleep in the morning. Being nocturnal wasn't the end of the world, after all. She was filled with the realization of how different she felt. Marriage document or not, she felt as if she had somehow transformed into another person. She was no longer Doris Collins, she was Mrs. Doris Grumby. She had taken to the difference almost immediately. In a strange way, not only did she feel espoused, she also felt maternal too. That made no sense to her. They were way past the parenting years, but the desire and longing for a baby hit her like a ton of bricks. The thought of carrying a child inside of her made her almost giddy and warm inside. She shrugged it off as being tired from the busy day they had. There were a lot of emotions that had been felt that day, this was just another emotion getting thrown in the mix of things. She finally drifted off to sleep, thinking about babies.
...
The Skipper awoke the next morning, well rested and refreshed. He looked beside him to see Doris in a peaceful sleep, her long hair clinging to her neck and face. He leaned over and gently kissed her cheek. Laying back on his pillow, he replayed everything from the night before in his mind. How beautiful it had been! He had shared the wedding night to end all wedding nights with the woman of his dreams. He had been so foolish in his past. Somehow, somewhere, and despite everything he had ever been taught, he had fallen under the delusion that having sex and making love were the same thing. As he had found last night, they were not the same at all. Similar at best, but not the same. He preferred what he had shared with Doris over all the women he had ever been with. He realized not only did he break those other women's hearts, he had broken his own heart as well... he had out and out cheated himself. His thoughts were stopped short by the sound of his bride rousing from her sleep.
"Good morning husband."
"Good morning wife."
"Did you sleep well?"
"Very well, and I had very pleasant dreams too. How about you? No nightmares, I hope."
"Jonas, I was so worn out, I don't think my brain even had the energy to have a dream. Or if it did, I don't remember."
"Well, I hope you're rested up. You're gonna need it," he said with a feisty grin.
"Jonas really,"
"What? After all it is our honeymoon. There is no TV to watch, no horses to ride, no sights to see, no movies to go to, no concerts, no restaurants... what's a man suppose to do with that much free time on his hands?"
Doris began to chuckle. "You're an ornery mess, you know that Jonas Grumby?"
"Do you still love me anyways?"
"Of course I do, always and forever."
...
The week went by much quicker than the Skipper and Doris expected. They did find things to do, like swimming in the lagoon, doing a little fishing, taking a hike around the volcano that stood there. The Skipper assured her it was safe, saying the Professor taught them all the difference between a non-active volcano and one that might erupt at any moment. They did other things like showering in the waterfall, taking mid-afternoon naps, and making love before they bid each other good night. Doris hated to leave the little hut, but at the same time, she did miss the others. She was anxious to hear Eunice's chatter about all the things she planned to do once she was off the island. It was a daily ritual with her. Apparently, she had a lot she wanted to do, for Doris noticed she didn't mention the same things twice hardly ever. She longed to ask Ginger how she was feeling and if she had felt her baby move yet. She wanted to chat with Mary Ann, and she wanted to hold Grace in her arms.
They headed back to the island that Friday, toting along the picnic basket and two suitcases. It was nearly an hour's walk, even with taking a short cut. Given the Skipper's condition with him still trying to regain his muscle tone, they took several short breaks. It had taken most of the morning to make their journey. One such break found them making out under the shade of a palm tree. Afterwards, they sat there a few minutes, just enjoying the nature around them.
"You're beautiful."
"Thank you, you're very handsome as well."
"No, I mean you're always beautiful... but you look different somehow. You have an aura I can't quite put my finger on... then again, I never was any good at guessing what was different when a woman would ask me to guess what was different about her."
"I don't know, I haven't changed anything. Maybe it's the fact I'm a married woman now. Maybe I look wifely."
"Perhaps that's it... but if you do figure out what you've changed, keep doing it."
"Aye, aye, Skipper," she said, doing an impersonation of Gilligan, as she saluted her husband.
When they arrived back at camp, Mary Ann was the first to spot them. She handed Grace over to Gilligan and went running up the path to hug the both of them.
"How I've missed you two! Did you have a wonderful time?" Mary Ann asked.
"We had the best time," Doris exclaimed, holding Mary Ann at arm's length, so she could look at her, "I never wanted to leave."
Mary Ann laughed at the comment, "I know what you mean. Gilligan and I felt the same way., Well, you look great. Did you take a mud bath while you were up there?"
"No," she replied.
"I know what it is," Ginger said, as she come walking up the path, "plenty of love and rest. Both do wonders for a girl's complexion."
By this time, Mrs. Howell noticed that the newlyweds had arrived home. She ran up the path as well, hugging both of them.
"Doris, it has felt so strange all week without you and the Captain here. I'm so glad you're back." She had said, then spoke again, "you look different... but I'm not sure... did you do something different to your hair?"
"Nope," Doris replied.
"Well, it's something," Mrs. Howell said, studying her friend.
"Everyone keeps telling me that," Doris said, "I honestly haven't done anything different except for getting married."
"I'd say marriage suits you well then," Ginger said, "it suits the both of you well."
"I'd love to spend the whole afternoon getting caught up with what's been going on all week, but right now we are gonna head to our hut for a little bit."
"I'm completely worn out," the Skipper replied.
"Yes, I'm gonna unpack and get the bed all made up so Jonas can take a nap. I'll be back out soon."
"That's all right," Mary Ann said, "take all the time you need. If you want any help getting settled back in, just call for me."
"Actually, I may take a nap myself. I'm so tired," Doris replied. She knew why the Skipper was tired, but it wasn't like her to get worn out so quickly. True, they had taken to afternoon naps while on their honeymoon, but now they were back home and it was time to get back to the daily grind. Perhaps she would take the one afternoon to be lazy and then start over tomorrow. As she walked with her husband into their hut, so also pondered everyone's comments.
What IS different about me? What are they seeing that I can't?
