Keys to the Heart

The view was exhilarating. This was her first adventure on an airplane. She’s looking out over the wing below admiring the quiet night and the twinkling of city lights below. She’s excited. She is traveling to Florida to visit her grandmother. Since her graduation, the family decided to move Grandmother down to a retirement home in Southern Florida. The excitement of seeing her sweet grandmother was overshadowed by the excitement of being on an airplane next to a strappingly, dapper young man. She checked out his finger; there was no ring. She caught his gazes as he was looking over at her under the pretense he was just admiring the view as well. She has circumnavigated men after her last relationship with Dexter. Dexter and she were high school sweethearts but after graduation, he headed off to a college in another state. They still wrote to each other, but the frequency of the letters started to fall off after about six months. She heard through the grapevine that he was seeing other girls. Upon hearing this, it really came as no surprise. Sure, they were high school sweethearts, but he was not her soul mate. She knew the man of her dreams was out there…somewhere. Carmella wasn’t concerned and she rarely thought about Dexter anymore. She had other things on her mind, like art school and scuba diving in the Keys. Maybe some deep sea fishing. Carmella was not like the other girls she grew up with. She was independent and having a boyfriend did not define her. She was a free spirit. She had dreams. She had plans for her future that could make room for a companion, or not. She is 21 now and her daydreams were filled with adventure, travel and encompassing all the things that always seemed out of reach for her. She grew up in a small town but it was time for her to go outside her comfort zone. She has always loved the ocean and anything associated with it. She loved being outdoors. She loved to write and journal. She kept her journal with her always. She wanted to capture all of the moments that inspired her. She captured her feelings and scribbled notes to herself. She took a red-eye flight to save money and give herself more time to see the Keys when she landed. It has been a long day and as she was about to recline back and settle in for the remainder of the flight, when she glanced over at the handsome fellow seated next to her. He had been playing a game on his phone to fill his time. He put his phone away. He pulled out a book. No, not a book, a black book. Upon closer view, she noticed a ribbon bookmark. Could it be? Yes, yes it was. He had a Moleskine notebook. That was the very kind she had! What are the chances she would be sitting next to a man who had a black notebook the same as she. She loved her notebook. The softness of the cover and the quality of the paper made writing in it so easy. Her pen would glide across each page capturing her thoughts in a permanent black ink. She casually relaxed trying to not appear that she was noticing what he was doing. She wondered, what could he be writing? Was he writing down his travel itinerary? Was he recording his day’s events? Oh well, it was intriguing but she closed her eyes.

She was startled awake. What’s happening? The plane shuddered. A stewardess was approaching quickly down the aisle. She whispered to her, “what’s happening?” The stewardess replied, “don’t worry, Miss, it’s just a little turbulence.” Carmella leaned back, looked out. It was dark still but there seemed to be water droplets on the window. Are we going through a storm she wondered. Suddenly the lights come on directing passengers to buckle up. She gouges the man next to her. He wakes up. She tells him, something is happening. He says, don’t worry, it’s probably just turbulence. He can tell by her reaction that she is not comfortable with that excuse. He pats her hand. It’s okay he says. Somehow, his hand comforts her just a little. He says, Fallon. What? He repeats, Fallon. My name is Fallon. Oh, she says. My name is Carmella. He begins to distract her with conversation. She notices his eyes. They are luminous and warm, like sunshine reflecting through a glass of whiskey. She could use some whiskey right now but at the moment she is captivated by the sound of his voice. His voice penetrated through the sounds around her and for those few moments, she actually felt safe just being next to him. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it was as if he was familiar to her. Sure, he’s been sitting next to her for a few hours, but it felt deeper than that. He began to ask her questions. She answered them. He told her about himself. He was a photographer. He was heading to Key West to do a photoshoot for a travel magazine. He had been there before and offered to show her around if she was interested. She explained that she was going to visit her grandmother but was going to also check out the local real estate. She planned to buy a house in the Keys to be near her grandmother and be near the types of places that she wanted to explore and become a part of. Fallon was 25 years old. He had lots of plans and dreams of settling down in the Keys as well, which is why he jumped at the chance to do a portfolio of the Keys for his magazine assignment. The more she talked to him and the more he shared with her about him, she couldn’t shake the feeling of the familiarity she felt earlier. Soon, the lights went out and the plane seem to settle down. She realized that Fallon was able to keep her mesmerized long enough to distract her from the turbulent flight. As they settled back into their seats to relax, he jotted his number down and handed it to her. He told her he would be available any time during the next three weeks. His work schedule was flexible and he would be able to meet up with her about any time. She took the paper and folded it without looking at the number. She tucked it away in her handbag.

The plane landed. They made their way off. She followed him through the terminal watching and wondering where he was going. She slowed down a bit as to not seem as if she was tagging after him but it appeared they were heading in the same direction. They got outside and as she was about to hail a cab, he held his hand up. He rushed forward. As he opened the door, he looked back. He motioned to her to join him. She stopped in her tracks. She moved forward and nodded. He came up and grabbed her bags to put them in back. Looking over his shoulder, he said we might as well share a cab; and if you like, grab some quick breakfast before we part our ways. She nodded. She never once felt threatened or had any indication that he had any malicious intentions. She had that ability to read people. Although she was young, she was wise beyond her years. She was an old soul trapped in a young woman’s body. They took the cab and found a place to have breakfast. It was a beautiful view overlooking a pier on the water. The sun was brightening the ripples as they enjoyed breakfast. They talked for what seemed like hours. Fallon was quite interesting and could carry on lovely conversations. She got lost in his eyes…in his voice. She noticed that during an awkward moment of silence he was jotting something down in his black notebook. She drank her orange juice and enjoyed the view unfolding before their eyes.

They parted ways. She went to visit her grandmother; he checked into one of the Hiltons. A few days passed and her mind began to linger back to Fallon. Those eyes pierced through her soul. That voice resonated throughout her body. He spoke very eloquently and with purpose. She couldn’t seem to get him off her mind. It was like something was tugging in her soul, nagging at her like a mysterious force.

The time had come; she couldn’t resist any longer. She pulled the number out of the nook of her handbag. She dialed. He answered on the third ring. Hello. Hi, this is Carmella. Yes, yes, I’ve been waiting on you.

You have? Oh yes, he said. I gave you my number, but I didn’t get yours. Somehow during our last visit, we got our notebooks mixed up. I need the notes from mine to complete my assignment. In the meantime, I’ve been working on the locations that I had scheduled first. He suggested meeting up for lunch. They found a quaint local favorite on the water. They met up and exchanged notebooks. Before taking a cab down to the waterfront, Carmella couldn’t resist but to open his notebook and investigate what he had written down. What she found not only intrigued her, but sent her heart racing.

After meeting and eating, he suggested they walk on the beach by the waterfront activities. They enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, watching couple parasail, kids play and tourists stroll through the crowds. At the end of the afternoon, Fallon stopped along the pier. They both stood there gazing across the water enjoying the vivid, orange sunset. They both seemed lost in their thoughts. After that afternoon, things seem to change and the closeness they shared grew stronger. They spent every afternoon with each other until it was time to return home. On the last evening, they returned to the same spot on the waterfront that they always enjoyed the sunset at. Carmella and Fallon seemed inseparable. For the short amount of time they knew each other, it seemed like an eternity. They shared their life stories, their dreams and even some of their fears. As the sunset slowly disappeared, Fallon wrapped his arms around her waist. She moved in closer; felt his warmth. She could smell his scent stronger now. He was intoxicating. Fallon turned to her, looked into her eyes. She blinked slowly, awaiting to catch her breath. He leaned in, touched her face softly stroking her cheek and pushing her hair behind her ear. He whispered, Carmella, I’ve been waiting for you for a while; I want to see you again. I want to be in your life. Carmella leaned in and they kissed. She told Fallon, I’ve been waiting on you as well. I suppose we need to make plans. Fallon agreed. She told him that she read his notebook. He smiled. I guess it’s no longer a secret then. Carmella replied no, and I feel the same way. He had written in his notes, “I’m going to marry this girl someday. She touches every fiber of my soul. I cannot live without her.” Carmella believed in fate. Carmella knew she had met her soul mate. In the short amount of time they had spent together, it was obvious they had a strong connection. Carmella and Fallon kissed passionately. As the crowds began to drift slowly away, the two young lovers made their way back. For a few weeks of time, they had lived a lifetime. Fast forward, the two continued to see each other and eventually were engaged. They got married on the beach at sunset in the Keys. Carmella’s grandmother gave them their first wedding gift; it was $20,000. With that, they made a down payment on their new home in the Keys.