Chapter 18
Returning to the quiet,
foggy coast of Carmel felt like coming back to a warm,
comforting embrace.
I spent the first few weeks holed up in my rustic barn studio,
developing hundreds of rolls of European film,
and organizing the massive,
overwhelming volume of new portraits.
Ruth visited me every afternoon,
bringing hot,
homemade soup,
and sitting in the armchair while I excitedly recounted my travel adventures.
She marveled at the stunning,
intricate photographs of the Parisian bakers,
and the strong,
resilient Tuscan farmers,
praising the universal,
unspoken thread of female strength that tied the collection together.
One Friday evening,
just as the sun was beginning to set over the Pacific,
Elias drove down from the city to spend the weekend with me.
We walked barefoot along the damp,
sandy beach,
listening to the loud,
crashing rhythm of the breaking waves,
and watching the sky turn brilliant shades of orange,
pink,
and deep,
bruised purple.
He stopped walking suddenly,
turning to face me,
and he reached into the pocket of his thick,
woolen coat.
He did not drop to one knee,
nor did he orchestrate a massive,
public spectacle,
because he knew that I despised artificial,
performative grand gestures.
He simply pulled out a small,
vintage velvet box,
and he looked directly,
deeply into my eyes.
He told me that I was the most brilliant,
courageous woman he had ever met,
and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life standing by my side.
He opened the box,
revealing a simple,
elegant ring featuring a rough,
uncut sapphire,
which perfectly captured the wild,
untamed beauty of the ocean.
I did not cry,
and I did not hesitate for a single,
solitary second.
I said yes,
my voice clear,
steady,
and completely free from any lingering,
residual doubts.
He slipped the cool,
metal band onto my finger,
and he pulled me into a fierce,
grounding kiss,
tasting faintly of salt,
and sweet,
red wine.
We did not need a lavish,
expensive wedding,
or the hollow,
fake approval of my distant,
estranged family.
We had each other,
we had our art,
and we had a deep,
unshakeable partnership built on genuine,
mutual respect.
As the stars began to appear in the darkening sky,
reflecting brilliantly off the calm,
black water,
May you like
I knew that I was finally,
truly home.
