Coalescence - SF3 (8 page)

Three hours later, they drew near their destination. Ryan looked at Jamie and mentioned, "You know, I’ve never been to Monterey."

"Are you serious?" Jamie was a little shocked at the revelation, assuming that most Bay Area natives would have made at least one trip to Carmel.

"Yep. I’ve been to Half Moon Bay to surf, and I’ve been to Santa Cruz, but I’ve never gone any further down the Bay. I never really had a reason to. Until now, that is."

"Well, I guess we’re both in for some new experiences this week, aren’t we?"

A very sexy smile lit up Ryan’s face, and she shot a glance at her partner, one waggling eyebrow poking up from the frame of her dark glasses. "I certainly hope so," she purred, laughing gently at Jamie’s wide-eyed response.

As they neared the heavily populated areas, they slowed down to about 40 mph. Jamie still had her hand on Ryan’s thigh, and when they hit a stop light, she leaned over and gave her a deep kiss. She couldn’t keep from running her hand up the leg of Ryan’s shorts until the driver firmly grasped her hand and pulled it out, returning it to its former resting place. "I just wanted to see what you had on under those." Jamie played innocent even as she tried to slip her hand under again. Ryan’s vise-like grip stopped the intrusion.

"You’re just gonna have to wait and see," she teased. "I’m not going to wreck your car just so you can feel my underwear. Especially since you can pull them off of me with your teeth in about a half hour," she added with a wicked leer.

Even with the top down and the background noise, Ryan could hear her partner’s audible gulp.

"Hey," Jamie said after a beat. "Did you say you surfed Half Moon?"

"Yep," Ryan said smugly. "Mavericks," she added, naming the famous surfing spot known for having the biggest waves on the West Coast.

"Long boards?"

"Yep."

"Uhh, Ryan, I hate to tell you, but no woman has ever successfully surfed Mavericks."

At the next stop, Ryan pulled her blouse away from her chest and peeked inside. "Well, you can tell me later after you’ve made your inspection, but I’m pretty sure I’m a woman," she said with a crooked grin.

"But surfing there is a really big deal for a woman, Ryan," she insisted.

"Well I’m sure that’s true if you want publicity, Jamie. But I just want to surf and blend in as much as possible. I bet nobody even noticed I was a girl."

"I didn’t know you could surf if you were blind," she replied with her own grin, as she let her eyes linger on her partner’s obviously womanly curves.

"To be honest, I try to look as masculine as possible when I surf. Guys hate to share with women. It’s the most sexist group of people I’ve ever been around, and I’ve worked construction!"

"Could you surf a little for me? I’d really love to see you in action," Jamie begged.

"I haven’t been in a year or so, but I think I could still rip a few for your viewing entertainment," she grinned.

"You’re on, Tiger," Jamie concluded happily.

The signs indicated that they were nearing 17 Mile Drive, and Ryan knew it would not be long before they reached their destination. A very strong physical pull urged her to keep on going, but she had been planning a little something, and her heart told her that she needed to follow through with her plan.

"Is there somewhere quiet and private where we can stop for a few minutes?" she asked her partner.

"Stop?" The look that accompanied Jamie’s exclamation questioned Ryan’s sanity.

"Yeah. I know we’re both in a hurry, but today is really special for me, and I want to stop for a little while to commemorate it."

"You are such a romantic," Jamie mused as she graced her partner with a luminous smile. "I know a really nice place not too far ahead. I think it will be perfect."

They were driving right along the ocean when Jamie indicated they should stop. Hopping out, she went to the trunk and rooted around in her suitcase for a few moments. Finding what she was looking for, she quickly tucked it into the pocket of her rust colored shorts. Ryan waited patiently, lifting an eyebrow at the delay, but Jamie just shrugged and gave her a look that said, "
Don’t ask
".

The smaller woman took her hand and led her along a rocky path through the scrub that covered the harshly beautiful landscape. Around a bend they saw the spot and it was, indeed, perfect for Ryan’s purposes. Very well hidden by the rocky boulders was a lone cypress tree that looked out over the wild ocean. The roar of the surf was muffled by the height of the cliff they were perched upon, but they could feel the violence of its crashing waves through the earth as they sat down under the sturdy branches of the huge old tree.

"Have you been here often?" Ryan broke the silence after they had stared out at the sea for a few minutes.

"Yeah," she said softly. "When I was a teenager, I used to ride my bike down here, just to be alone. I’d bring a book or just sit and think for a while."

"Did you always come alone?"

A brief nod was her reply. "I considered this my most private space," she said in a whisper. "Up until now, I’ve never wanted to share my special spaces with anyone." She gazed up at Ryan as she said this, her eyes filled with love. "It’s different now. I want to share everything with you, Ryan. Everything I have is yours. All of my dreams and hopes and plans mean so much more when I think of sharing them with you."

She raised her head just a bit, and Ryan simultaneously lowered hers until their lips met in a soft, tender communion. "I love you with all my heart, Ryan," she whispered as they parted.

Ryan lifted her hand and traced the features of her lover’s face with the kiss of her fingertips. "There’s nothing I wish more than that my mother could know you," she said, with a slight shadow of grief overtaking her features. "She loved me so much, and I know that nothing would make her happier than to know what peace I’ve found with you." Jamie scooted closer and pulled her lover into a tender embrace, holding her close for a long while.

"I wish that, too," she murmured softly. "I’d love to thank her for the gift of your love. She helped make you the woman you are, Ryan, and for that, I’m eternally grateful."

Lifting her head to stare at the sky for a moment, Ryan took a deep breath and reached into the rear pocket of her shorts. She removed a small packet of tissue paper and grasped it firmly in her hand for a moment. Taking another breath, she unwrapped it and said, "You know that things generally don’t mean a lot to me, but this…" she paused to compose herself for a moment, "is my most treasured possession." A brilliant beam of light filtered through the leaves onto the object, illuminating the simple gold band. "This was my mother’s wedding band." Silent tears fell from her eyes. "I’d…I’d be honored if you’d wear it."

"Oh, Ryan." Jamie gasped as her hand reached out to cover her lover’s shaking fingers. "Are you sure you want that? Shouldn’t you wear it?"

"No, I’m sure I want you to wear it, Jamie. It’s far too small for me, and I’d ruin it if I tried to have it enlarged to fit. Besides," she locked her clear blue eyes onto her partner, "my mother’s always with me. It feels like wearing her ring will make her a part of you, too."

Jamie rotated her wrist, turning Ryan’s fingers up to expose the ring. She extended her left hand and slightly raised her ring finger, waiting patiently as her partner slipped it on. "Forever," Ryan said in a strong, confident voice. Jamie draped her arms around the strong neck, holding her tightly as she slowly moved her finger, exposing the shiny band to the filtered sunlight.

"It fits perfectly," she marveled. "Like it was made for me."

"I think it was," Ryan agreed. As she pulled back, she gazed at her partner with a long, thoughtful stare. "I’ve been thinking about this a little bit, Jamie, and even though this doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, I have a theory. I don’t believe that our lives are pre-ordained. I think the choices we make and the way we behave is because of our free will. But something about you has called to me from the day we met," she said firmly. "I have no choice but to be with you for the rest of my life. I don’t know what is behind this, but it’s a pull I am absolutely powerless against."

A gentle laugh floated up from Jamie’s diaphragm. "You think it’s a powerful pull for you? It yanked me out of a relatively happy engagement, and threw me into a whole new sexual orientation!"

"Any regrets?" Ryan asked, blue eyes twinkling.

"None whatsoever," she pledged. "I’ve never been happier with any choice I’ve made in my life. I just wish I had a ring for you," she said with a hint of regret. "Could I have a matching one made?"

"Absolutely," Ryan smiled. "I know that now isn’t the time, but I would love to stand up in front of all of our friends and family and publicly proclaim my love for you. I’d really like to exchange rings then."

Jamie graced her with a beatific smile, heartily agreeing with the wish. "I would love that, Sweetheart. Until then," she bent her head to kiss the finger where she would one day place a ring, "this space is reserved." A tender kiss sealed the vow, and they rested in each other’s arms for a few minutes, with Jamie occasionally holding out her left hand to gaze at her ring.

"I’ll never take this off," Jamie murmured as she leaned in for another kiss.

"Luckily, it’s already engraved," Ryan informed her with a sad smile. The smaller woman immediately slipped the ring off and stared at it for a minute, turning it a bit to allow the sun to hit the letters on the inside of the band.

"Mmm, I’m having a little trouble with this, Honey. Fighte fuaighte," she said haltingly. "Is it Latin?"

"No," Ryan said. "It’s Gaelic." She pronounced the words properly, in her soft Irish accent.

"What does it mean?" The smaller woman stared at the inscription.

"It’s an expression that roughly means: ‘woven into and through each other.’ You would use it to refer to things that were inextricably intertwined," she said softly. "Like my parents...like us."

"Like us." Jamie echoed Ryan’s commitment as she lifted her head again to kiss her partner for several long minutes.

"Ready to go?" Ryan asked, her twinkling eyes turning dark with longing. "I think it’s time you officially changed that sexual orientation thing."

Jamie’s gentle laugh was accompanied by a smirk. "I think we’ve been putting a pretty good chink in the armor of my supposed heterosexuality already." Ryan returned her smile and nodded her agreement. Jamie leaned over and gave her another gentle kiss. "Before we leave, I’ve got a little something for you too."

Ryan looked down at her quizzically as Jamie reached into the front pocket of her shorts and extracted a small black velvet box. Smiling broadly, she handed her partner the gift. Ryan reached out to accept it with a slight tremor in her hand. She lifted the top to find two perfectly shaped round brilliant-cut blue stones set in simple platinum collars.

It was obvious that Ryan didn’t quite know how to respond, so Jamie helped her out. "These mean a great deal to me, Ryan. My great-grandmother Smith owned them. She wore them in a really ornate setting, and when I was little I really loved them. I just loved the blue color. They looked so nice next to her blue hair," she laughed. "Anyway, she left them to me when she died. I never knew what to do with them, but when I look at them now, all I can think of is your eyes." She leaned over to kiss each closed eye in turn. "Maybe that’s why I liked them so much. Maybe I somehow knew that eyes that looked like these would one day belong to my mate."

Ryan’s voice was rough with emotion. She was terribly touched at the sentiment, but a little hesitant to accept the gift. "Jamie, these earrings are a family heirloom. You can’t just give them away."

"Ryan, I’ve given you something much more precious than simple diamonds. I’ve given you my heart," she said sincerely. "Let me commemorate that gift with these."

"These are diamonds?" She stared at the crystal clear, ice blue stones.

"Yeah, they’re really rare, but diamonds are sometimes blue. Something to do with the type of carbon or something."

"They’re just gorgeous, Jamie," she muttered as she moved them slowly in the sunlight.

"Now you know how I feel when I look into your eyes," she murmured as she draped her arms around her partner and pulled her close for a few tender kisses. When she pulled away, she removed the gems from their box and delicately placed one in each perfectly shaped earlobe. "Perfect. Just perfect," she whispered.

They sat in silence for a long while, just watching the crashing waves beat against the shore. Their hands were laced together and their heads touched lightly just above their temples. Finally, Ryan broke the silence. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, I am." Jamie chuckled as she stood and extended a hand to her partner. "I’m ready to have you make a woman out of me." Ryan grinned up at her as she was pulled to her feet. "You know, this is a much better way to get married," Jamie mused as they walked to the car, hand in hand. "Just the two of us, pledging our love to each other. As soon as we finish, no fancy party, no long reception lines--it’s time for the honeymoon! This is clearly the better alternative—for our first wedding, at least!"

"I agree completely," Ryan beamed. "Let the honeymoon begin!"