The Sun and the Moon (Epilogue for Rosalyn and Gavin) September 18, 2015 Galveston, Texas
The breeze rolling in from the gulf was hot. It kept the air from being stagnant, but it didn't cool anyone down. Thankfully, they had the water for that. Little waves lapped at toes as people walked along the beach in pairs, seeking relief from the afternoon sun. Birds swooped down and trotted across the sand looking for pieces of bread or food that had washed ashore
"I look like a beached whale!" Rosalyn said, tilting her head to see Gavin from beneath the brim of her wide hat. She wore it to ward off the worst of the summer freckles, which was the only part of moving southward that she didn't like. Whenever she caught a glimpse of them in the bathroom mirror, she mistook them for dirt and tried to wipe them off. No such luck. Her arms crossed over her sundress, which was pale blue.
There was a bark of laughter as Gavin turned in the sand, little flecks sticking to his skin as he rested his head on his elbow. In a flash the hat was taken from Rosalyn, exposing her to the golden light that had already caused his shoulders to redden. "No." The hat was dropped behind him, then his hand raised as if to stop her from replying. "You look beautiful." The corners of his eyes crinkled.
Slithering closer, and inevitably creating a small mound of sand, Gavin first cupped her cheek then moved to splay it over the curve of her stomach. "Every inch of you." Seeing Rosalyn in sun light was addictive, and while she thwarted the chances of freckles, he found them delightful. The sound of the ocean was soothing, the sky was bright, and he was exactly where he wanted to be.
"Ha! Good thing," she said, shielding her eyes get a better look at him. "Since lately, I've got so many." And with those additional inches around her belly, Rose had kissed swimsuits good-bye until next season, when they'd have to stumble from the house under the extra weight of a playpen, an umbrella, and a bag full of diapers. Wouldn't that be the most fun? When the time came, though, Rose doubted she'd complain. She'd be over the moon, especially since the idea of any of this would've been crazy a year before.
It still was crazy, but life worked in strange ways.
It took some effort, but Rose switched onto her side and faced him. "What do you wanna do tonight?" She scooped up a handful of sand and released it slowly, like an hourglass.
Flicking the tip of her freckle dusted nose, Gavin gave a toothy grin, "All the more for me." He was fascinated by her all over again. Nothing could describe what it was like to listen to her breathe, or to watch her simply pull open the curtains in the morning. In the past months he had been in more pictures with Rosalyn than he had his entire life before meeting her.
"I think..." Gavin's eyes narrowed as if he was deep in thought, one hand raised to scratch at his jaw, "I should teach you to cook. I know, I know... you're allergic to the kitchen, but you'll enjoy the end result. You can't live on sandwiches forever." With a wink he leaned in and placed a soft kiss against her lips, "We can do whatever you want. Except watching that documentary on child birth." That wasn't something he would enjoy, and he knew it. There was also the slight chance that he'd turn green and vanish to the bathroom.
"Oh, don't be such a baby," she said. "If I'm gonna put on an apron, you're gonna do something for me." Rose settled her decidedly feminine hat on Gavin's head. The brim of it flipped up when the wind blew. A ribbon flapped off the back. "There you go. Pretty as a picture." She threaded her fingers into the dusting of hair on his chest. There wasn't as much anymore.
So much about the couple had changed since the portal worked its magic. Theirs was a simple set of wishes: to sever old ties, hit the road, and be happy together. It was the final conversation they had before the world went blindingly white. For those things to happen, elements of their existences had to change. For Rosalyn, it meant being alive again. For Gavin, it meant being released from obligation to his pack, and that meant being fully human.
And here they were, back in the beach town that offered so much freedom before, and they were absolutely ordinary.
When the hat landed on his head, all Gavin did was sigh, "Yes I am, and you ought to be careful, I still remember what it was like in your shoes. For all you know I could be dressing up in the clothes that don't fit you while you're out." The animal part of him may have gone but the wolfish grin remained. Despite looking ridiculous, he was enjoying the shade it gave his eyes, and the muscles in his face relaxed.
"What do I have to do?" Elements of who he had been still lingered, which was why his chin tipped back as he basked in her innocent touches over his chest, a rather content look on his face. Even as the hat flapped about in the breeze. The first few days they were human, Gavin was torn by sheer excitement and heavy dread. It seemed too good, and a little part of him wondered if it would run out like a battery. Then as the days passed being normal became natural, and the worry evaporated.
Rose's eyes widened. The idea of Gavin prancing around in her skirts and blouses was too much, especially when she thought of him cramming his enormous feet in her shoes. Then she remembered who she was dealing with: Mr. Manliness himself. She socked his arm. "Oh, you're full of it!" Sand dropped all over his torso. Oops.
"I'll put on an apron under one condition." She held up an index finger, which then used to scratch at his pectoral muscle. "You make me that baked cherry and almond custard from your old restaurant. It's to die for and I've been dreaming about it for weeks. Please? I really, really want it." She emphasized this with tiny punches to his shoulder. Rose's baby blues welled up with fake tears. It was a lethal pout, and it had gotten her a lot over the course of their relationship. She planned to unleash it whenever things were an eensy bit inconvenient, like for instance gross diapers.
It was on a pinky swear that they got up and hauled themselves to their house for a quick shower and a night spent in the kitchen, where Rose set off the smoke alarm, Gavin thwapped her with damp dishtowels, and a Righteous Brothers album spun in the background.
It was a simple life, but a deeply satisfying one that neither of them could've imagined.