"Yeah," Katey said. "But people wake from dreams."
"Not all the time." He said, giving her his boyish half grin that haunted her memories.
"I brought some of the letters I wrote you with me. I never sent them because I didn't know if you would get them."
"You kept them?"
"I didn't know if I would ever get the chance to give them to you."
"Can I see them?"
"Later." She smiled.
"Why?"
"I left them at the hotel." They laughed.
"Oh."
The moon was shining so brightly. The stars were like glitter, shimmering in place.
"I hoped you would return some day." He said.
"Me too. I kind of hoped that you would find me in America."
"I couldn't leave my family."
"I know."
"So, you have not had an American boyfriend then?"
"No."
Silence.
"You do not want to know if I have had a girlfriend?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I just don't care to know, that's all." It hurt to think of him with another.
"Okay....well, I haven't. In case you are curious."
"I'm not."
He took her hand.
"This feels so right."
"It does." She said. "You don't know how lonely my life was before I knew you."
"I know what you mean."
"I don't think you do. You have such passion. I have never seen anything like it. I was so empty."
"I have passion, but you are the other part of me, Katey. The whole time you were gone, I felt, well, I did not feel like myself. You don't know how happy you make me. You make me feel like a man, like more than I can be."
She leaned into him and he began to move his hands over her body.
"Te amo, Katey." He whispered.
How she had longed to hear those words from his lips. To feel his touch, to feel his body against her. They gave into each other completely, with no hesitation.
The moon shone brightly over the thousands of people in Cuba that night, and it began to disappear with the dawn, but for a moment Javier and Katey felt they were the only ones on the island.
They woke in the early morning in each others arms. Katey opened her eyes, she was fully satisfied. How could she ask for anything more. Here in the morning, things looked a little different. She could get a clear look at Javier, and see how he had changed in the five years since she had left him. He looked stronger physically, yet so tired. There was a small scar on his hairline on his forehead. She remembered thinking last night that there was a distant pain in his eyes. But as he opened his eyes and saw her, the pain seemed to have vanished.
"Good morning." Katey said.
"And a very good night." He kissed her forehead. "I am completely happy."
"You too, huh?"
They sat up and watched the sun beginning to rise.
"I wish I could stay here, right here, in this moment forever."
"Why can't you? Stay with me, Katey. Stay forever."
"I don't know if I can." A piece of her died after she said it.
"Why not?" he fumed. "Did you come here just to..."
"Javier, I love you."
"Then why can't you stay?"
"It's not that simple. I hadn't really thought about staying. I was just concerned about finding you again.."
"Don't make your decision now. Let's take it day by day."
"Day by day." Katey repeated... full of conflict.
