A New Day

As the golden rays of the morning sun appeared above the horizon, I could see John sitting on the edge of the steep and jagged cliff. I wasn't worried about him jumping, though I could hardly blame him if he did. It had been a long and tough road for him, and I was surprised that he was doing as well as he was. It had been a long and mostly bumpy road for me also. Sometimes I wondered why I had stayed around for so long. I wasn't sure, but if things didn't change soon, I would definitely need to change my circumstances. But John and I both knew there was still work to be done.

John didn't even stir as I quietly approached him and sat down in the only patch of soft grass I could find. "You okay?" I asked, as I began to rub his back slowly.

"Fine," he said absently, still looking out over the cliff. Far below us we could both see the smooth, glassy early morning ocean.

"Are you sure you still want to do this?" I asked as he turned and looked at me. His deep blue eyes penetrated deep into my soul. That was one of the reasons I had stayed around for so long. The other being that I had fallen deeply in love with him. He was the man that I had always hoped to meet, but if he didn't get past this last hurdle I wasn't sure how long I could hold on. It wasn't healthy for either of us and I could only hope that this would finally bury his demons and be able to move on, hopefully together.

"I was just remembering what my Mom always told me, though I didn't remember it until today." He picked up a rock and flung it over the edge as he continued to speak. "She said that every morning started a new day and a new beginning. And that if you started out everyday remembering that, you could overcome anything from the past and start fresh. I was hoping that she was right  and today would be a new beginning for me, for us." John reached out and grabbed my hand. He kissed it tenderly , but with the passion that I had longed for for so long. My skin was covered with goose bumps as I savored the moment.

After he released my hand, he turned and continued to look out over the ocean. The sun continued to creep slowly into the morning sky, and the breezes began to pick up. That was what we had been waiting for. That and for the crew to make it down to the bottom to pick us up when we landed.

"Well, it's just about time, and the morning thermals are finally picking up. Do you still want to go through with this?" I asked for the hundredth time since John began talking about doing this.

"For the last time, yes!" he said, as he picked up his helmet and began to lower it over his head. I watched him adjust the strap, and could see the fear in his eyes. I could see the fear, but I could also see something else. I could see determination, and that was something that had been missing since the accident. I could only hope it was a sign of better things to come.

As I began to don my own helmet, I was thinking about that fateful day two years ago. But I shook those thoughts out of my head quickly. They had no business being there. It was time to forget the past and concentrate on the future.

It was awkward to get us both into the hang glider harness, but we had a few extra hands to help out. It was also hard to get us both to the edge so we could take off. With John below me I could barely walk. I waddled like a duck with my legs spread wide so I wouldn't step on him. We must have looked like a wounded bird trying to outrun a predator.

We finally made it to the edge and I took one last glance down at John. I could only see determination, no longer any fear. The hang gliders wings began to flap noisily  and with a final burst, I launched myself, with John in tow, into the warming air. The glider fell rapidly as we dropped below the top of the cliff. I could feel John tense as we fell, even though we both knew what was coming. Finally when the morning up drafts cradled us in their invisible arms, he began to relax. As I felt him relax, I could also, at least a little. I was still flying this contraption and I was responsible not only for my life, but for John's. Soon we began to regain our lost altitude, and lifted freely into the brightening sky.

I took a quick glance down to see how John was doing, but his face was like a stone, showing no emotion at all. I took that as a good sign. As we continued to gain altitude, flying became slightly easier. I began to get a good feel for the swirling winds around us, and I felt I could take my eyes off the sky again to glance down at John's face. As I did, I thought I saw a slight curling of his lips. It might have been the crack of a smile, but I couldn't be sure. I was hoping that he was remembering the enjoyment of his favorite sport.

We continued to zig-zag back and forth along the sandy coast, and the thermals continued to keep us well up in the sky. I could have kept this up forever, just so long as John was doing okay.

"You doing okay, John?" I yelled through the rushing wind.

John must of heard me, as he looked up at me and just smiled. It was a smile that I had not seen in a very long time. One that I thought I would never see again. My heart began to race anew, and I had to refocus my concentration on my flying. Fairly certain John was okay, I began to enjoy myself a little more. As we flew parallel to the breaking waves, I noticed a school of dolphins cresting the waves and then diving back into the ocean with a splash. I could see John had also noticed them, and then I was sure I saw a smile. I grinned back, as John caught my eye and gave me an exaggerated wink. I continued smiling as our flight continued.

After another ten minutes and more back and forth smiles, I pointed down to the ground. I then turned the glider around and lined up for a, hopefully soft, textbook landing. The look of resignation appeared on John's face, but then another smile took its place, and I knew all was well.

As we approached the ground, I could feel John once again tense up. He was probably thinking of the last time he was coming in for a landing. I vigorously shook that thought from my head and concentrated on landing safely. As we approached the ground, I flared the wings and hit the coarse beach, as softly as I could. As we settled onto the sand, I removed my helmet and helped John remove his. I could see that he had relaxed once again, realizing he had made it down safely.

As I began to help John unclasp from his harness, which released him from the glider, he reached up and grabbed me and pulled me on top of him. He was laughing and I also began to laugh. He then grabbed my head, strongly yet lovingly, and pulled me to his lips. The kiss he gave me was the most passionate that I had ever had. I lasted well over a minute, until we heard someone clearing their throat. Looking up, I saw a bunch of faces looking down at us. Some were smiling while others were shaking their heads. One of them was John's little brother.

"Oh, Gross!" the boy said as he turned away.

"Do you want us to come back?" Steve, John's best friend, said jokingly.

Of course I wanted the kiss to last for the rest of my life, but instead of saying so, I broke free of John's grasp and stood, brushing the sand from my clothes. "No," was all I could say, feeling the blood rush to my face.

"Then lets get you two lovebirds off this hot sand," Steve said, as the group moved into action. It took no time at all until John was free of the glider and was ready to be carried to the parking lot. It was not one of his favorite things I knew, but if John was anything he was a realist. He knew he was not getting off the beach without assistance. Though it was better then the last time, when he had to be rescued from the cliff face, when he lost the use of his legs. This time I could see a smile on his face as we approached the car. 

"Put me in the wheelchair, please," John said, startling me. I had assumed that he would be placed in the car and we would begin our long drive home. But it appeared that John had other plans. As he settled into his chair, he waved me over. I could still see a wry grin across his tan face, almost like the cat that ate the canary. He was also fishing for something in his breast pocket.

"Megan," John said, as I walked up to him. He grabbed my left hand and gave it a tight squeeze. My eyes began to water so I quickly wiped them on my sleeve as he continued. "I first want to thank you for sticking by me for the last two years. I know it hasn't been easy for you and I often wondered why you stayed. But I finally realized that it was because you loved me. And that you didn't care if my legs worked or not. I also realized that I wasn't being fair to you. But now, after today, I am hoping I can make it up to you. I know we will never have a conventional relationship, but I hope I can finally make you as happy as you have tried to make me. So I ask you.......Megan, will you marry me?"

I could hardly believe my ears. It was finally happening. I looked once again into his blue eyes and I knew he meant every word. And knowing that made those words mean more then anything.

"YES!" I screamed as I bent down and gave him a big hug, followed by a fervent smack on the lips that lingered for several moments. Then I became aware of a small crowd clapping and cheering around us. They came up to us and passed out hugs and congratulations as I stood smiling dumbly, still not actually believing what had just happened. After everyone had had their say, I looked down at John once again. He was still smiling from ear to ear, and I knew that from now on, there was nothing that we couldn't overcome, together.

                                                             THE END