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Pacific Giant Salamanders

& A Proposal

By Kelsey ReichPublished 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago 9 min read
10
Pacific Giant Salamanders
Photo by Bruno Wolff on Unsplash

It was windy enough that Dominic could see multiple sailboats and ships on the horizon. He wrapped his arm around Alex’s waist watching the waters churn as the ferry sluggishly crept around the many islands between Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. Alex pointed out a couple of bald eagles roosting on the nearest island, her pleasure evident behind her sunglasses.

“Jeremy did say he was joining us on the ferry, right?” Dominic asked, briefly checking his phone for a text.

Alex grinned, adjusting the straps of her backpack, “I’m sure he will be here any minute.”

Dominic shook his head, “He couldn’t just walk onboard like the rest of us. Of course.”

A larger than average bald eagle swooped down toward the ferry, flying alongside them for a moment. Dominic glanced around but nobody else seemed to take notice. Most people were inside where the wind wouldn’t whip their hair around. The eagle swerved before elegantly landing on the railing of the ferry, his great talons encircling the chipped paint.

“Have a nice flight, Jeremy?” Alex asked the bird. The eagle flapped his wings once, tail feathers wiggling. Dominic could see Jeremy's brown eyes looking back at him instead of the golden eyes of a bald eagle. Alex slipped her backpack from her shoulders, pulling out a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt. A full change of clothes for Jeremy. Dominic made an effort to look nonchalant as he shielded Jeremy from view.

Jeremy hopped from the railing shifting from a bird to a full-grown man, quickly pulling on the clothing Alex had brought for him, “Sorry I’m late. Just felt too good stretching my wings.”

He gave Alex and Dominic both a kiss, his face still flushed from exhilaration, “I might have also followed the wrong ferry for a bit. This goes out to the Salt Spring Islands, doesn’t it?”

Alex looked to Dominic expectantly. He wanted to surprise her, “It does.”

Alex groaned, “He hasn’t told me anything all week other than to pack enough clothes for a weekend. I know he is plotting something.”

Jeremy and Dominic shared a look. She would never admit it, but Alex loves surprises.

“Maybe we can spot the whales on the way,” Jeremy leaned over the railing, searching for the spray of water or splash of a tail. He had seen them while in the air, but it was a bit harder to spot them from the ferry deck, “I could have sworn I even saw a shark.”

Dominic watched the two of them, relishing in their mutual excitement as the ferry carried them to their destination. He was glad Jeremy was here, the nervous tightness in his chest loosening. When they were getting close, the three of them went below deck to the car. Dominic asked, “Should we take a tour of the island first?”

“No way!” Alex protested while Jeremy suggested getting lunch first from the back seat. She seemed ready to protest further but a growl from her stomach made Alex pause, cheeks going rosy, “Can we get it to go?”

Dominic was still grinning when they arrived at a fish and chips restaurant on the water’s edge. They found a seat closest to the water, Alex and Jeremy both overjoyed to spot a cluster of sea otters floating on their backs. Everything seemed to be going perfectly Dominic realized, dipping a bite of fish in tartar sauce. There was no way the darkness of their pasts could reach them out here in such a beautiful place. When they had finished eating, Alex hurried them both back to the car, eager to reach the final destination despite not knowing what it was.

They drove the narrow roads through giant redwoods, passing a red and white painted lighthouse on a cliff and down a curved gravel trail until they came to a cabin by the water. Alex gasped when she saw it, “We get to stay here for the weekend?”

Dominic nodded, passing her the keys, “The owners rent it out for most of the year. Some big shot financier that already has a few houses.”

Alex ran to the door, racing around the house to look at all the details while Dominic and Jeremy brought in the luggage.

“It has an indoor pool!” She shouted, followed by a splash a minute later, “And it is heated!”

The men smiled at each other, dropping the luggage by the door. Jeremy pulled him into a hug, “This is amazing. Are you sure you don’t want me to pay for some of it?”

“Don’t worry about it. I just want both of you to enjoy it before you take off for your summer job.”

“Thanks, Dom, I’m so glad to be here for you both,” Jeremy clapped him on the back, “We better find some towels though before she drags us into the water too.”

Dominic laughed, “I got you covered. Meet you there.”

Taking the luggage to the master bedroom Dominic laid out a number of items for later and pulled a bottle of champagne out. He collected a few towels and glasses for each of them before returning to the pool. Alex and Jeremy were both naked, making out in the corner of a narrow rectangular pool that connected to a hot tub. The pool looked out onto the ocean; the edges of the property framed by massive trees.

“Champagne?” Jeremy asked, faking surprise with his arms wrapped around Alex, “What are we celebrating?”

Dominic stripped down to his boxers, lining up the glasses on the edge of the pool before sitting on the edge, “You guys like it here?”

They nodded.

“I bought the property next door,” he said, pulling a velvet box from the pocket of his discarded jeans. Alex’s eyes widened. She paddled from Jeremy’s lap towards Dominic as he opened the ring box, “And I um…” Dominic’s eyes became moist as Alex slid from the pool to sit next to him. He cleared his throat, “Alex, will you marry me?”

She started to cry, nodding, “Yes! Of course, I will.”

Dominic placed the ring on her finger. They hugged, Alex’s wet hair dripping on his skin as Jeremy popped the cork on the champagne with a cheer. He handed them both a glass, “I’m so glad you finally told her! Cheers!”

The glasses clinked. Alex studied the ring. Silver with an infinity symbol shaped into two connecting hearts. Tiny diamonds studded part of it.

“It’s perfect. I can't believe it,” she giggled, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks, “But I don’t want to lose my engagement ring in the pool.”

Dominic slipped it from her finger and returned it to the box before slipping into the pool. The tension of the moment draining from him, he finally felt like he could breathe.

“Hardest secret I’ve ever had to keep in my entire life,” Jeremy crowed, “But we knew she would say yes.”

Alex playfully punched him on the arm, “I can hardly believe you two pulled this off. What does our house look like Dom?”

He took a gulp of champagne, “I don’t know yet. It hasn’t been built.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to help with that!” She clapped her hands in excitement, “Studio for me, office for Dom and… what do you want Jeremy?”

Jeremy set his glass down on the edge of the pool, a mischievous grin coming to his face as he lifted Alex off the ledge and into the water, “I want my beautiful girlfriend, and my handsome boyfriend to make a beautiful house together. King-sized bed.”

He gave Alex a kiss as she tried to balance her glass of champagne, “A hammock with an ocean view,” Then he gave Dominic a longer kiss, “And three kayaks. One for each of us. Or maybe a three-seater. Then we could paddle a lot further.”

“Sounds perfect,” Alex giggled, her champagne glass filling with pool water as she wrapped her legs around Jeremy’s waist, piggy-back style in the water. She nibbled his ear, but her eyes were on Dominic.

By Ray Hennessy on Unsplash

By morning the champagne bottle was empty and the wet footprints down the hallway had dried. Alex slipped on the first shirt she could find—probably Jeremy’s judging by the size. She tugged the blanket from the bed and opened the blinds, waking up the two men. She was excited to scope out the property where her future home would be built. Jeremy, masking his champagne headache with a pair of sunglasses, walked across the lawn with them. The property was mostly covered in trees, a small clearing at the center barely big enough for a house.

Jeremy shifted some rocks aside, curious if he would find anything. He paused, spotting a pale brown salamander with dark splotches. He almost hadn’t seen it, the creature blended in so well with the damp soil, “Dom, you can’t build a house here.”

Alex rushed over to see what he had found, “What kind of salamander is that?”

“Pacific giant salamander, Dicamptodon tenebrosus. They are on the red list for BC.”

Dom groaned, “That is what I get for not letting you two scout the place before I buy. But… we can still pitch a tent? Kayaks and hammocks by the water? Going to hurt later but I’m sure you two rather not see the trees get cut down anyhow.”

Alex crouched down to inspect the salamander. Dominic imagined he would see a painting of it in the near future. She tucked her hair behind one ear, “I’ll take two handsome men over my dream home any day.”

Later, as they waited in line to get back on the ferry, Alex twisted the ring on her finger. Something was nagging at her ever since they had passed the lighthouse on the way back, “Dominic. Have we been here before?”

“It was before your father’s funeral. Why?”

Alex had forgotten until that moment. Almost two years ago Dominic had taken her on a surprise trip to an island after her father had died of cancer. He had told her he would propose to her on that same island one day. She had laughed it off at the time. She brushed away a happy tear before he could see it. Dominic patted her leg from the driver’s seat, “I fell for you the day I met you. Took a bit longer with Jeremy.”

“Love you too Dom,” Jeremy chuckled, “And Alex. You two getting married changes nothing. I’m just not ready to be so settled yet.”

“Hopefully, multiple marriages are legal by the time you are ready,” Alex replied.

___________________________________________

If you enjoyed this bit of fiction, please support my work with a heart and check out my other articles! As this is the first draft, I’d appreciate constructive criticism. Let me know what you thought on FB, Twitter, or Insta @akelseyreich. More with Dom, Alex, and Jeremy will be coming.

Written by Kelsey Reich on April 25/2021 in Ontario, Canada.

proposal
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About the Creator

Kelsey Reich

🏳️‍🌈 Life-long learner, artist, creative writer, and future ecologist currently living in Ontario.

Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and buy me a coffee @akelseyreich!

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