The summer sun was setting down the orange horizon as the cold ocean breeze brushed against my skin. The smell of the sea permeated my nose as I approached the wooden docks.
The sounds of the crowd faded and were replaced with the crashing waves. By the edge of the dock sitting there swinging her dangling feet was Aylin.
She turned her head and saw me standing there looking at her.
"Now where have you been for the past 10 minutes?"
I sat down next to her and hands reached into my pocket clutching onto the earrings. We both were dangling our feet above the waves. Aylin breathed in the smell of the ocean and leaned back.
We watched as ships sailed away into the horizon and as they loaded onto the wharf. Aylin watched intently at the sailors on those carrying out tasks before shaking her head slightly. She raised her head and our eyes met, a warm gentle smile formed on her face before she averted her gaze back towards the ocean.
The metal in my hand started to get warm. I was about to pull them out when Aylin said something.
"I think I have yet to tell you this."
My hand stopped in its tracks.
"When I was still at the brothel, I never thought tomorrow would be something to look forwards to. Maybe was it because of how I lived my life I almost forgot there was even such thing as tomorrow. But now…"
Her gemlike eyes were piercing into my soul, switching a gear inside of me that made me completely forget about the earrings and gift. All that I could think about was that indescribable expression on her face and how my own feelings started to crumble into pieces.
"I can look forward to what fate has in store for me tomorrow," she said with a smile so genuine that it melted away all the discomfort I had.
Her face was blushing as she stared out at the ocean again. Her ears were red and she was swinging her legs like a kid. But then she stopped and as she was admiring the sun setting she thanked me. She thanked me for coming in that day. She thanked me for sitting alongside her on the rooftop all those nights. She thanked me for staying with her even when she had nothing to say. She thanked me for not leaving her when she rejected my presence. She thanked me for coming with her to the academy. Then finally she stood up by the docks and reached out her hand, she thanked me for tomorrow.
This was unfair. How could she say all these things when I myself haven't even expressed a single bit of gratitude to her. I reached out my hand but it didn't touch hers until she herself grabbed my hand and pulled me up. She ran down the docks and down the stairs dragging me along. On the beach she let go of my hand and looked at the waves washing up on the shore.
"Vivshi."
Her long pink luscious hair swaying in the breeze as her back was turned.
"Yes?"
"Could you close your eyes for a moment?"
I closed my eyes and waited a few seconds. I could hear Aylin's breathing and the waves besides me. I felt something light being put onto my wrist.
"You can open them now."
I looked down at my hands and saw it was a pearl bracelet. Aylin giggled before turning her back again and started to walk slowly down the beach with her arms behind her back.