Dedicated to Jackie Bresler
Submitted by James
I awoke to her soft, rhythmic breathing in my ear. As consciousness enveloped me however, I realized that the sound came from the gentle lapping of the waves on the shore of Sugar Beach. We were married yesterday here in Maui. I could see the spot from our hotel window if I wasn’t too fatigued to force myself out of bed. Of course, she is already up for her morning jog in the sand.
As the reality of it all sank in, a sense of fulfillment washed over me. Of all the improbable romances on the big screen, even those famed Hollywood writers could not dream up something as impossible as the reality that Jackie and I are living.
We met in 1994 while staying at the same cockroach-infested hotel across from the train station in Frankfurt. During breakfast I saw her sitting across the dining room eating alone, but I made no move to join her as I had not yet showered. On the way back to my room however, I decided to say hello to her and her travelling companion whom had since joined her. They were both very friendly and we ended up spending the day together, promising to write when we returned home.
After two years of writing, Jackie and I decided to take a trip to Cancun to get some sun and see the Mayan ruins. After only two days of conversing with that warm soul and sharp intellect, I was smitten. We had a wonderful romance in Cancun, but before we knew it the vacation was over and we had to go home, her to Seattle and me to San Francisco. After four months of heated letters and a few visits, I decided to take a chance and move to Seattle to see if we could make it work.
Three years later and here we are in the most beautiful spot in the world, a day after our marriage on the warm sands of Sugar Beach, Maui. I’d swear I was dreaming, but then I hear the door and see my beautiful bride in her jog bra and Spandex shorts. The dazzling smile on her face is all it takes to get me out of bed and into the shower in preparation for another day in Paradise with the woman I love.