Summer Heat

I blink open my eyes and feel the muggy heat already coming into my apartment. The windows are wide open and the sun is starting to shine through. I guess the time as I stretch my arms and yawn. I think it’s 8:38 based on the suns position and my daily Summer routine. Stretch, coffee, write and then whatever I want to for the rest of the day. As a teacher, I enjoy the quiet mornings. It’s usually plan, plan, plan. Then, teach, teach, teach. The noise is constantly moving throughout the school within the school day. I love it, I do. But, I love silence, too.

I make my way to the kitchen and start to brew my coffee. It smells amazing.

After a week off of school, I’m becoming antsy and ready for new projects. That’s the downfall of my Summers off, no one around to enjoy it with. I used to spend my Summers with my husband, but we separated last year. It’s almost been a full year without him and we have definitely moved our separate ways, I never run into him and he never calls. We don’t have any kids together, so there’s not reason to stay in touch. Our last argument was the last straw. We don’t agree on a lot of things anymore, so I suggested that we see other people since we’re not finding happiness together.

So, my Summer mornings are quiet, and calm and something I haven’t had, ever.

It is nice.

My eyes catch a glimpse of the calendar, I circled June 30th about 5 times around the date on my calendar on June 1st, the day I planned my Maine vacation with my best friend, Chelsea. She is my only other friend who is childless, like me. We planned this trip a month ago and our plan is to eat lobster, catch the first sunrise of the day, see puffins and find some burly men to flirt with. Bar Harbor, Maine is where we’re going and we’re staying in a rental house on the beach. I picked up my phone and text Chelsea.

“It’s going to be magical.”

“You say that everyday.” She replies back.

“Do you think they’ll have a coffee machine?” And I send her a picture of my coffee this morning. I also add, “Good morning!”

“Good morning to you too, Summer queen. Some of us have to work around here.”

“That’s what you have your teacher friends for, to bug you all day long. Work sounds boring!”

“It is.”

“I’ll be busy planning more things we can do while we’re there, text me when you’re done or just come over, we can hang by the pool.”

She sends me a kiss-face emoji.

While laying out by the pool, I double check my packing list and look at our flight again to make sure it was all the same. Our flight leaves Toledo at seven in the morning and gets us to Bar Harbor, Maine at eleven-forty in the morning, just in time for lunch. My packing list includes outfits for the beach, pajamas, going-out outfits and shoes. I also packed jewelry, make up and hair accessories.

Just then, Chelsea walks up to me with her work clothes on and bags in her hands.

“Are you ready?” I say excitedly.

“I wish I felt better, I’m so tired.” Chelsea says slumping everything to the ground and sits in the chair next to me.

“Are you sick?”

“I might be.”

“Go rest. I’m sure you’re going to be fine.” I help her with her bags and lead the way to my apartment. The pool is apart of the apartment complex, it’s nice to have somewhere to swim in the Summers. My ex-husband and I didn’t have a pool at our house. I was the one who decided to move out, so he still has the house and I live here at the Piccadilly Apartments. I have a swimming pool and someone to mow the grass for me. I’m loving it, really.

“Thanks, Tiff. I don’t know what’s going on with me, but I am not feeling myself. I was like this all day.”

“Ok, well are you still going to be flying in the morning if you’re still sick?” I ask, worrying about everything now.

“I don’t know. Let’s just hang out, watch a movie and see how I am in the morning?”

“Ok, I plan on leaving the house at five in the morning. Our flight leaves at seven.”

“I know, that should still be good. It’s ok, we’re good!” Chelsea laughs it off but then crashes on the couch. Chelsea is planning on staying here tonight so we don’t have to drive anywhere but to the airport in the morning. So, for the rest of the night, we watch some movies while Chelsea sleeps and eventually I fall asleep too.

My fears came to light early the next morning. Chelsea is in the bathroom getting sick. There is no way she would want to get on a plane and fly, sick.

“You go on ahead without me.” She says to me, looking like death.

“Without you? I don’t think I can do that.”

“I’ll call today and get my flight arranged for tomorrow.”

“I will, too, then.”

“No way. What if I’m not better?”

“I don’t know, Chels.” But, she reassures me that I can do it. In my previous relationship, my ex-husband would tell me there’s no way I can do this or that. My mind became numb to thinking I can’t do anything without a hand to hold. But, Chelsea is right. I know I can get to the vacation house on my own, easy.

“It’s going to be fine. I can’t move.” She says from the bathroom. I get her some water and set my bags by the door ready to leave.

“Here’s my key.” I sat them on the bathroom sink counter. “You stay here as long as you need. If you want to spend the night here again, go ahead.” I go over to her and give her a tiny hug around her shoulder. “Are you going to be ok?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine. It’s just the flu.”

“Ok, well I’m leaving. Text me when you make it to the couch. If you don’t I’m sending someone over here to check on you.” She waves me good-bye and out the door I go. My cab I had already called for is waiting for me outside my apartment doors and I get in.

It only takes us twenty minutes to get to the airport and the cab driver helps me with my bags as he drops me off at the airport. In I go to get to my flight. So many thoughts run through my head. How can I do this alone? Is this even safe?

I am too excited to worry, now.

Before I go through security, Chelsea texts me that she is sorry but that she made it to the couch. And off I go, adventure awaits.

It’s been three days into my vacation and Chelsea never rescheduled her flight. She is still struggling with the flu. But, Maine is amazing and the vacation house is amazing. It is the most relaxing vacation of my life.

When I got here I took time to unpack and get to know the house, but I got bored quickly. Another place to be alone in. So, I traveled to the closest bar I could find and strolled inside. I sat at the bar and ordered a Bacardi and Coke with a lime. It didn’t take long for my drink to enter my bloodstream after a full day of traveling, I started flirting with a guy sitting next to me. His beard and his rough work hands attracted sloppy me.

Now, three days later, he’s sitting on my front porch to the vacation house having a cup of coffee I brewed for him. So far I’ve learned that he owns his own lawn mowing company, he likes to drink beer and his name is Silas.

“Good morning.” I walk out on the front porch with my hot coffee in my hands.

“Good morning, beautiful.” Silas says with a charming smile on his face. I walk over and sit on his lap, we’ve become very close. Physically.

“Hey tonight I’m hosting a lobster boil. I’m having friends over, some family are going to stop by. It’s an annual thing. You’re here just in time for it, do you want to come?”

“Let me check my schedule.”

“You’re on vacation! What do you mean?”

I laugh and kiss him, “I was just joking, I’d be honored to join you in your annual lobster boil. That sounds amazing.” Silas is sweet and handsome. He is patient with me when he asks me questions and enjoys listening to me and my silly stories. He is someone I could imagine being really close with. He is hard working and tan, a real treat to look at and the best part is that he puts his hands all over me in the right places. He gives me butterflies.

The lobster boil was a crowded party and I was glued to Silas’s side the whole time. All of his friends are nice enough, but I could tell they were wondering who I was. I made friends with a handful of people and even met Silas’s sister. By the end of the night, they were all calling me the Ohio chick.

My vacation continues with Silas showing me around Maine, driving me to places he likes the most. The views are breathtaking and the air is nice to breathe in. Chelsea checked in with me from time to time, but I’ll admit I wasn’t the best at messaging her back. I was too busy fishing, boating, hiking, eating and making out with Silas. The time in Maine is busy and joyful and everything I need after a long year of teaching, a long year of being single for the first time in a long time, and something I can check off my bucket list.

On my last night, Silas and I are sitting on the beach watching the sunset.

“What if you stayed?” Silas says to me out of nowhere.

“In Maine? Like forever? I can’t do that.”

“What if you stayed until the end of the Summer? Go back when it’s time for you to teach again.” I sit there and think about what he says. It isn’t the most obscure question, it is manageable, but what about the rest of my Summer that’s happening in Ohio?

“I don’t know. I didn’t bring all my clothes with me, I have a life back in Ohio, Silas.” I say quietly enough I was hoping he couldn’t hear me.

“In my opinion,” he leans into me, “You don’t need any clothes.” Then, he kisses me all over, making a scene on the beach, and I let him. I let him change my mind with a wet, hot kiss.

“I’ll stay.”

The rest of the Summer is just Silas and I, some days I have to wait until he is done with work, some days I explore on my own, some days we hang out with his friends for a late night fire, and some days I am checking in with Chelsea. She thinks I’m an absolute nut case. I tell her to come for her vacation, but she can’t get the days off of work. So it’s just him and I, which in my opinion, is magical.

The days start fading into August, the month I have to go back to school and go back to Ohio. Silas shows me a handful of jobs I could do in Maine to stay by his side, but the truth is, is that I miss home and I am ready to go back to reality. We spent our last night together in bed, only getting out if we need fuel or a shower. He spends the rest of the night holding me in his arms while I cuddle into him.

“This is not the end of us.” He says to be sweetly.

“What’s the plan, then? Forever your Summer fling? I’ll come back next Summer and wonder what you’ve been up to for the rest of the year.”

He squeezes me into him again. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”

“I’m everywhere. It’s really not hard to find me around the corner. I’m the teacher in your small town and the best friend of your sister.”

“Exactly, you’re perfect. There’s no one like you.”

The next morning, rain hits the roof of my vacation house I’ve turned into my Summer house. It is time to go to the airport and fly home to Ohio.

Silas drives me to the airport.

It was a long twenty minute drive, dread and heartbreak setting in.

When we get there he parks the car and kisses me for the last time. And then, I get out.

“Let’s just call it the Summer of our lives.” I say to him as I take my bags and head into the airport to get to my flight home.

Summer was over, and so were we.