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He steps out onto the small deck of the houseboat and takes a seat. With a pleased sigh he leans an arm on the rail and looks out at the horizon. The waters of the verdant coasts that have been his home for the past few years lull him. He has no delusions about his life, it’s a quiet, comfortable one. The constant longing for something that he cannot put words to aside.
He scratches idly at his beard, that once a dark sandy blond, but is now almost as grey as the hair on his head. As his hand lowers, sunlight glints off the wedding ring he wears.
He leans back and carefully removes it to read its inscription yet again. He knows it by heart; he just likes to look at the physical words.
"The two of us against the world. Always."
No, not always.
Only before the past few years; for that is all he knows. There was no life before this.
"Who are you? It’s been so long… Have you forgotten me?” he whispers to the horizon as he just as carefully slips it back on his finger again. The sole proof and reminder that there was a life before this.
Just not one that he can remember.
He walks out into the back of the beach house. He runs a hand through his dark curly hair and gracefully lowers himself to the deck floor, a cup of tea in hand. He stares out at the nearby beach, the deep blue ocean and distant horizon beyond it. He takes a sip, the sunlight glinting off his wedding ring.
"The two of us against the world. Always." He quotes the words he knows are there.
No, not always.
At least not for the last few years. He has used every resource available to him and then some. All to no avail. Despite his brother, among others, claiming otherwise; he has no delusions. It’s been too many years and the more that piles on the more the chances are against him. Still, every year he returns to the beach house, to where he was last happy before it was all washed away from him.
"Where are you? It’s been so long… Do you remember me?” he whispers to the horizon.
For the past few years this is all the life he has known without him.
Except the life with him that he cannot forget.