The scorching Pacific sun flooded the room through the window, waking me. I kept my eyes closed, though, listening to the gentle sound of the tide coming in and out, and, if I tried my hardest, I was sure I could hear the birds chirping, and the sound of the shells being swept away with the water.
Hawaii.
We were spending a part of summer in Kauai, the most isolated island in the chain, where I rented out a small yet very comfortable villa, overlooking a private beach. It cost a small fortune, but the very reason why we were there was the reason why I could afford it.
I was a hockey player, you see. I made it. Toronto Maple Leafs, baby.
It was a dream come true, really. I could play the sport I loved for a living, I felt fulfilled and challenged, I made a ridiculous amount of dough, and I was known and adored throughout Canada.
It didn't come without its drawbacks, though. Not everything in my life is to public consumption, there were things that I wished I could enjoy by myself. So, here we are, Hawaii.
It was so nice to be away from everything - from the cameras, from the media - with no interruptions. It was nice to live my private life, privately.
Case in point, my marriage. My beautiful meaningful other should be for my eyes and appreciation only, and she didn't appreciate being made a spectacle, either. It was especially nice to spent this time with my wife.
'My wife'. It felt so good to say and hear. 'Wife', 'Casey Venturi', 'Mrs Venturi'. I couldn't help but smile when I thought of her too, pictures of her in her wedding dress invading my brain.
"Casey." I mumbled, waiting to feel her soft hands run along my chest as they usually did in the morning, before I'd open my eyes and see her perfect face. "Casey?" I lifted an eyelid, rolling over in the bed which felt unusually large without her.
I jumped of bed worriedly, running into each room, calling her name, but there was no sign of her at all. Where was she?
Somehow, something caught my attention from the corner of my eye and I smiled as I looked out of the window, seeing her sitting on the sand, probably watching the sunrise.
Her morning glow was brighter than the sun, her long hair, which was curly from the water, spiraling down her back, leading towards her pert bum in her printed bikini.
I bit my lip and shook my head at flashbacks of last night, remembering her face as I carried her across the threshold and into our honeymoon cottage.
I grabbed a pair of swim shorts out of my suitcase to make myself decent before walking out of the house and joining her.
"Hello Mrs Venturi." I took my place next to her on the sand, wrapping my arms around her waist as her head rested on my shoulder.
"Casey Venturi… has a nice ring to it." She smiled, her eyes twinkling endlessly in the sun.
"The ring suits you." I looked at her left hand which rested on her lap, the new diamond ring reflecting every source of light in sight. I took her small hand in mine, bringing it to my lips and placing small kisses on the back of it.
"Hey, that tickles." She threw her head back in laughter, leaning back too far and falling onto her stomach, dragging me with her.
My lips didn't leave her sunkissed skin as we rolled across the hot sand quickly, getting ourselves tangled in each other, and caught in the waves, laughing and touching each other until we ended up on the other side of the beach.
We stopped for a moment to calm down, the sound of our giggles dying down, the serene setting becoming background music.
I used my thumb to wipes the small grains of sand off her face, and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.
"I love you; you know?" She traced her hands across my back, pulling me closer to her - which felt close enough to hear her heartbeat.
"And I love you too."