Excitement
Lara is standing on the dock, waiting for her love. He's supposed to meet her in five minutes. They are starting their once-in-a-lifetime sailing trip, before they start college at separate universities. Eric's dad is loaning him his 35-foot Catalina. He been enjoying the boating life since he was a little boy, having been taught how to navigate the thing.
Lara comes from a small town in the midwest. She moved with her family to Florida five years prior, but rarely went on the sea. Her family couldn't afford a boat, but she's always dreamed of sailing across the ocean. For their high school graduation, and once they turned 18, both Eric and her parents gathered together and planned this trip.
They will be sailing across the Caribbean for a month. Stopping at a couple of islands, their main destination is the sea.
Lara heard footsteps coming up behind her and turned. She waved at her boyfriend and his family. Her parents were also parking in the lot to join them.
"Hey my love!" Eric hugged her.
"Hey. I'm so excited!"
"Now, Eric, remember everything we've talked about? The things I taught you?" His dad took him aboard the boat to go over everything again while Lara stayed on the dock.
"We are going to miss you so much, Lara! I'm so scared," her mom admitted.
"I will be fine momma. There are no forecasted storms or bad weather while we are gone. Eric knows everything about sailing and the boat is plenty big enough to protect us."
Her mom sigh heavily, nodding. Her dad comes up and hugs her before pulling her mom to his side.
"I trust Eric, Noreen," he agreed with Lara.
"OK, OK. You're my baby girl, I'm going to worry."
Lara smiled, wiping a stray tear from her mother’s cheek. “I know, Mom. I’ll text you the second we get signal at the first island.”
Behind them, the heavy thrum of the Catalina’s diesel engine roared to life, sending a gentle vibration through the wooden planks of the dock. Eric emerged from the cabin, a bright, confident grin on his face. His dad followed closely behind, giving Eric a final, proud slap on the back before stepping back on the dock.
“She’s all yours, son. Keep her steady,” his dad called out, his voice thick with uncharacteristic emotion.
Eric walked to the bow and uncoiled the heavy dock lines. “Ready to leave land behind, Lara?”
She admired the beautiful boat. White boarder with a blue side, pristine. The word Serena is painted on the front.
“More than ready,” she said, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Lara took her mom and dad’s hand one last time, then stepped aboard the pristine white deck of the boat that would be her home for the next month. Eric untied the remaining ropes, tossing them onto the deck, and leaped aboard as the gap between the boat and the pier began to widen.
“We love you! Be safe!” her parents shouted, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Eric’s family. They all waved furiously, their figures growing smaller with every passing second.
Lara stood at the stern, waving back until her arms ached and the marina faded into a cluster of distant shapes against the Florida coastline. The chaotic noise of cars, parking lots, and everyday life completely vanished, replaced by the rhythmic sloshing of the hull cutting through the blue waves.
Eric guided the boat past the final channel marker, pointing the bow toward the endless, shimmering horizon of the Caribbean. He locked the wheel for a moment and stepped down beside her, wrapping an arm tightly around her waist.
“We’re actually doing it,” Lara whispered, staring out at the vast open water she had dreamed about for years.
“Just you, me, and the sea,” Eric murmured, kissing the top of her head.
The wind caught her hair, carrying the sharp, clean scent of salt water. For the first time, Lara looked out at the massive expanse of the ocean ahead of them and felt a sudden, tiny prickle of nervousness beneath her excitement. There was no turning back now.
