Wings Of A Nightingale

For more than two hours, Summer has been staring at the blank screen of her laptop. For some reason, she could not focus and choosing the right words to express her ideas seem to be difficult. Call it a writer’s block?

Two days ago, she left her New York apartment to head back home to Carmel, California. Her publisher and agent may be right. A change of scenery and ambiance may help stimulate her creative imagination and be inspired to finish her book that has a deadline for publication. Five years ago, Summer left Carmel to follow her dream to be a successful writer. In New York, her agent worked with a publishing company, and her first written non-fiction book achieved commercial success; even became a best seller. Two other best sellers followed.

This is not helping. She needs to take a walk at the beach, or get something to eat, as it’s almost dinnertime. Summer was craving for her favorite crabmeat sandwich, so she drove along the picturesque coastal highway to Nick’s Seafood Bistro. She went directly to the front register to place her order, when she heard: “Hello, Summer”. The greeting came someone seated at the bistro’s corner table, overlooking the shore. Instinctively, she turned around, and much to her surprise and disbelief, the man sitting there was the person she very well knew and longed to see again.

Toni! So, where does Antoni De Marco fit into her life? Both of them grew up in Carmel and attended college at Santa Cruz State University. Toni became a physical therapist and Summer graduated with a degree in English Literature. They were an inseparable pair, happy, and in love.

One day, an unexpected and once in a lifetime opportunity came when Summer was contacted by an agent, that Skylark Publishing Company based in New York was interested in publishing the novel that she submitted, and offered to sign her up as their in-house romance novelist. Toni wanted her to stay, but doing so will be unfair for her. He loves her so much and wanted her to succeed; that he is willing to put their marriage plans on hold, until she comes back…if indeed she will come back. Five years have gone by…

It seems that this meeting could no longer be averted. She saw him walk towards her. His tall and lean physique, his bi-dimpled smile, and his blue eyes possess the power to make her heart shift into overdrive. She needs to calm down her nerves. She could not afford to be distracted, let alone be the recipient of barrages of unanswered questions from this man. However, more than anything else, she wanted to clear and settle whatever misunderstanding and or misgivings between them.

When Toni was in front of her, he extended his right hand and caught hers with a firm yet gentle grip. He tenderly pulled her close to him, barely an inch away, and whispered: “I missed you. I loved you then, I love you now and for the rest of our lives.” No words escaped from her lips. She looked at him, her whole body radiating with love. A love so deeply rooted and nurtured, that no time or distance could mar. She took a step to close the gap between them, and leaned her body to fit his frame. This is where she belongs, nowhere else.

-Lark-

8.9.2018