Strawberry Wine

The sun was scorching, heating the sand grit and salt on Lindy's arms and legs. She reached up and brushed at herself absently. Despite her attempts, there was no relief. She leaned back and closed her eyes not bothered by the sensations. It was difficult to be upset by anything really, with the sound of the surf and the smell of sunshine enveloping her.

Despite her closed eyes, she could tell when she was no longer alone. The droplets of cool ocean water falling on her long legs stretched out in front of her verified it. She opened her eyes squinting upwards. A mischievous grin met her gaze. Joseph, or "Joe" as she called him stood over her. His scalp, clean and usually white as a fish belly was turning pink, not that he noticed. His eyes, deep as the ocean he was just frolicking in locked with hers as he squatted down to her level.

"Having fun?" She asked.

"The water is great" he replied. "You should come out and cool off."

Reaching up and brushing a droplet from his forehead she smiled warmly at him.

"Okay, help me up".

He extended his arms and grabbed her, one hand under her knees the other supporting her back. She squealed in obvious delight as he picked her up without hesitation and started walking towards the water's edge.

Everyone else on the packed beach seemed to disappear as Joseph waded into the surf holding Lindy in his arms. With each step the waves broke higher on his body splashing Lindy with cool, crisp water. She yelped as he took another step and turned, taking the full hit of the incoming deluge with his back. The water sluiced over his broad shoulders and drenched her. It was especially brisk since her body temperature was elevated from sitting on the beach for so long.

He laughed as she sputtered at him.

"It'll feel great in a minute, I promise". He kissed her on her nose and turned back to continue his trek into deeper waters.

When the water was high enough around them she wiggled out his arms, keeping her arms wrapped around his neck and let her legs float lazily behind her. She sighed in total contentment, no longer fighting the breaking surf, they were embraced in the languid tide moving in towards the shore and back out again. The movements tugging slightly on them. Joe's grip was firm though and at that moment she felt nothing would or even could separate them. As they rode the waves she could see the beach only to have it disappear briefly as they dipped.

He took those moments to pull her close and pressed his lips to hers. She closed her eyes and leaned into his kisses, sighing with the pleasure of it all.

This week had been the best week of her 16 years so far. She was in love, it was the height of summer, and they were at the beach. Her family arrived at their hotel 5 days ago although it seemed like a lifetime.

She met Joe in the elevator when she accidentally walked into him. He had been staying on the same floor with a friend and they had been practically inseparable ever since.

Between the days spent in the sun, sand and surf and the nights exploring the city with her family bringing him along she never wanted this week to end.

Last night was the bonfire on the beach. She tried to cement the memory in her head to bring up whenever she wanted or needed to. They sat together covered by a light blanket watching the flames jump and crackle. Music drifted around, Deanna Carter's "Strawberry Wine" played and Lindy thought it was perfectly fitting. Poor Deanna though, "a few cards and letters and one long distance call, we drifted away like the leaves in the fall" she lamented the loss of her summer love. Lindy knew her story was different. She knew that this was for forever, how could it not be? To have such strong feelings obviously meant they were destined to work.

Her grip tightened on him as she thought of her trip ending tomorrow. In an amazing turn of luck it turned out they had met 1,000 miles from home but home was only a few hours between them. At the time it seemed like kismet to be so close and meet so far. Now though it seemed like a cruel joke played on them by fate. Even an hour was difficult to manage, how would they maintain with 3 between them?

She shook her head to clear the negative thoughts and tried to focus on right here, right now. This moment of perfection with this amazing, beautiful boy that was all hers. His grin showed an imperfect smile with one crooked canine, but to her it was endearing. She brushed her hand over his chest and felt his heart beat, strong, solid, and matching her own. As she looked up to him she felt tears stinging the back of her eyes. She tried to hide them from him by pulling him down into a kiss.

His grip tightened as she deepened the connection between them. She explored his mouth and his tongue matched hers, as if sparring. She knew his taste, the subtleties of his technique and they fit together perfectly. He was her soul mate and it seemed destined to be torn from her.

He could sense her urgency as he tasted her tears mingling with the salt water. They continued to bob in the water, surrounded by strangers and still alone caught up just in each other. He pulled her closer to him, wrapping her legs around her waist and wrapping one hand into her wet hair. He broke off the kiss breathing heavily and pulled her into his embrace.

"I know, I feel it too"

"I just found you" she whispered forlornly. "I don't want to lose you now!"

"Shhhhhhh" he tried to soothe her, "you won't, you aren't"

He pulled her back from his body and met her eyes.

"I'm yours, totally, completely and without doubt, nothing can keep us apart". He sealed his promise with a kiss. There in the ocean, surrounded but alone with the sound of the gulls and the breaking waves on the shore. He promised to love her for forever.

The first chords started to play in her head...



"He was working through college

On my grandpa's farm

I was thirsting for knowledge

And he had a car

Yeah, I was caught somewhere between a woman and a child

One restless summer we found love growing wild

On the banks of the river on a well-beaten path

It's funny how those memories they last



Like strawberry wine and seventeen

The hot July moon saw everything

My first taste of love, oh bittersweet

The green on the vine

Like strawberry wine



I still remember

When thirty was old

My biggest fear was September

When he had to go

A few cards and letters and one long distance call

We drifted away like the leaves in the fall

But year after year I come back to this place

Just to remember the taste



Of strawberry wine and seventeen

The hot July moon saw everything

My first taste of love, oh bittersweet

The green on the vine

Like strawberry wine



The fields have grown over now

Years since they've seen a plow

There's nothing time hasn't touched

Is it really him or the loss of my innocence

I've been missing so much

Yeah



Strawberry wine and seventeen

The hot July moon saw everything

My first taste of love, oh bittersweet

And green on the vine

Like strawberry wine

And seventeen

The hot July moon saw everything

My first taste of love, oh bittersweet

The green on the vine

Like strawberry wine

Strawberry wine

Strawberry wine"