We Are The Tide

“Hey Ethel, I just wanted you to know that our flight gets in around eleven pm tonight. We’re on our way to the airport now, and our flight leaves in a couple of hours.” Sam groaned, rubbing her eyes as she looked at the clock. 4:15 am illuminated the black box on her night stand, letting out a sigh and keeping her voice down as Rex rolled over beside her.

“Lucy, thanks for the reminder, but do you know what time it is? In case you forgot, it’s four in the morning here. I’m sure Gary can come pick you up. I’ll let him know. Is that all?”

“Yeah, I think that’s it. I’ll let you get back to sleep. Thanks love, I’ll see you soon.” Sam hung up the phone, mumbling a goodnight before rolling over and curling into Rex’s chest with a yawn. He wrapped his arms around her, his eyes still closed and silent. “They’re coming back today.” She whispered, her eyes closed as she relaxed in his grasp.

“Oh the shit I’m gonna get from John when he sees I haven’t left yet.” A light chuckle left his lips as his voice thick with sleep broke the silence.

“If it’s any consolation, I’m glad you’re still here.” Her voice was quiet, the two snuggling closer to each other and letting sleep take over again.



Sam climbed out of the shower to the smell of food cooking in the kitchen. She opened the door to see him standing at the stove in his boxer-briefs, making french toast for the two of them. She shuffled silently toward him, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his bare shoulder. She held the towel around her as he spun around, a smile playing on his lips as he looked her over. He reached up to tuck a chunk of damp hair behind her ear, kissing her forehead before turning back to the food.

“Hungry?” Sam nodded, grabbing a mug off the rack on the wall and pouring herself a cup of coffee. He grabbed two plates of food, setting them down on the small table before taking a seat. They ate in a comfortable silence, enjoying each other’s company and the easy Saturday morning. She texted Garrett after a while, asking if the house was clean and reminding him what time their flight would be in tonight.

“I’ve got a ton of homework I need to catch up on...” She dropped her plate in the sink, adjusting the towel across her frame as she dreaded the mound of homework she’d been neglecting the past two weeks.

While John and Lucy were on their honeymoon, Rex had stayed with Sam at her apartment, spending every possible minute together that she didn’t have school. They had gone on a few double dates with Garrett and Mel, and even took a weekend trip to the coast. Sam had grown accustomed to him being around, and dreaded the day he had to leave in the back of her mind. She realized then as she excused herself to do her homework while Rex did the dishes that he was in fact still with her, and wondered when he needed to return to school.

“Hey, babe, when do you go back to school?” She shuffled back into the living room, carrying her macbook toward the couch. A small smile shone across his face as he exhaled, his voice quiet as he checked something on his phone.

“Uhh, actually, classes resumed the Tuesday after the wedding. I was supposed to fly back that Monday morning, but I uhh, missed my flight.”

“Wow.” Sam’s voice was quiet as she thought about what he said. “Y-you missed your flight?”

“Well, yeah. I’m still here, aren’t I?”

“But, why? Why would you do something like that?” He stood, scratching the back of his neck and clearing his throat with a shrug.

“A feeling.” He shuffled down the hallway toward the bathroom, grabbing a towel from the hall closet before shutting himself in for a shower. Sam sat there on the couch for a moment, lost in thought.

“A feeling?” She hopped up from the couch when she heard the water turn on, biting her lip as she hesitated for a moment before reaching the bathroom in a few short strides, opening the door in one quick motion and pulling the curtain back. Rex stood there staring at her, confusion across his brow as the shower head sprayed him in the face. Sam stepped into the shower, clothes and all, and pulled him into a kiss. He didn’t complain as he moved to peel the soaked clothing from her body, the mention of that unidentified feeling being the driving force for a second shower.



Garrett ran his fingers through his hair, shuffling through the empty house toward the kitchen. He fumbled with the coffee pot, slipping the last two eggo waffles into the toaster with a yawn. He checked his phone, noticing a text from Sam about picking John and Lucy up from the airport. He looked around the apartment, noticing the dishes piling up in the sink and the mess in the living room, a heavy sigh leaving his lips as he knew he needed to clean the house.

He plopped down on a stool at the island, looking at the mess on the counter in front of him. His waffles popped up from the toaster and he pushed himself off the stool to grab them. He munched on the first of the two as he noticed a job application on the counter with a note in red ink on a post-it.

Fill this out and maybe I can put in a good word for you when you come visit me at work <3 M

His eyes ran over the page, a small smile spread across his lips as he searched for a pen and quickly filled out the application. He texted Sam back, agreeing to be at the airport by nine-thirty and asking if she would like to join. After he finished his breakfast and coffee, he quickly tackled the dishes and organized the mess in the living room, not sure exactly where to put things as it wasn’t his house. He stared at his suitcase, dissatisfied at every article of clothing he selected to see Mel in. A wave of excited anxiety poured over him as he struggled between two shirts, going with the plaid button up over a faded t-shirt, remembering a comment she had made about it on one of their double dates. They had been seeing each other since the wedding two weeks ago, but things were still new, and while they had gotten pretty far, things kept coming between them and they had yet to go all the way. At this point, Garrett was almost worried that she was leading him on and wouldn’t follow through.

He stared at himself in the mirror, laughing at how much of a girl he was feeling about this whole situation and decided he would find a way to take her out on the perfect date and hoped for the best. Grabbing his keys from the counter, he stared at his messy handwriting across the application, a hopeful smile on his lips as he left the house to head toward the music store.



The bell rang as he stepped through the door, the eclectic smells, sights, and sounds of the independent music store filling his senses. An older gentleman at the register gave him a nod as he approached the counter. Garrett cleared his throat as he handed over the application, a shy smile laying on his lips as he introduced himself. The man scribbled something down on the application as he set it aside, sending Garrett an encouraging smile as he turned to help another customer. Garrett turned to scan the room, noticing the back of Mel’s head at the vinyl counter on the upper level and headed toward the staircase. He waited for her to file away some vinyl on the far side of the room before heading up the stairs and engrossing himself in the corner stack. She walked right by him, hardly looking up as she settled back into her chair and back at the pile she was inventorying.

Garrett pulled a vinyl he’d been eyeing off the shelf and tapped his fingers against the packaging as he turned toward Mel. He cleared his throat quietly before setting the vinyl down on the counter in front of her.

“E-excuse me, can I uhh, get your help with something?” She turned in her swivel chair with a sigh, a smile spread across her lips replacing the previous frown as she noticed who was speaking to her.

“What can I do you for, stranger?” She crossed her arms over her knee, leaning forward across the counter and eyeing the vinyl between them with a small smile.
“It’s, uhh, o-over here.” He took a step back toward the shelves and she hopped off her stool with an “oh,” following behind him. He started thumbing through the stack for a moment and she leaned around his shoulder to look at the stack, confused. He pulled her into a kiss, moving her between the shelf and himself. A giggle left her lips as she pushed him away, looking around to see no one else on the second floor before she kissed him back.

“A-anything else I can, um, help you with, sir?”

“Dinner. With me. Tonight.” He smiled at her, taking a step back as she nodded toward getting back to work as a couple of customers appeared at the top of the stairs.

“Pick me up at 8?” She took him by the hand and led him back downstairs, heading toward the register as a small line had formed. He nodded and headed toward the door, the smile at his lips as he waved goodbye and headed toward John’s truck parked down the street.



The suitcase was on the bed as Rex carefully folded clothes and stacked them inside. Sam walked in after doing her hair for the second time that day.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“I - uh, I’m packing?” His response came out as more of a question. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

“What?”

“I, well, I have to go back home. I have finals and I need to take them to be confirmed for my internship in Colorado over the summer.” He hesitantly explained.

“So, you’re leaving?” She asked sadly.

“Yeah.” Rex looked down at his feet, avoiding her eye contact. He didn’t want to go. It had been a really good two weeks with her.

“I guess I didn’t think you’d be going back so quick,” She paused trying to gain his gaze, “Especially after what you said this morning...” She trailed off.

He sputtered, trying to come up with the right words. “I, uh, I really like you, Sam. Like, like-like you.” He said as he blushed profusely. “I have to go back to school, though. I have finals and I can’t miss them. But, when schools over for the summer, you need to come visit me in Colorado. I, um, I want to see you.”

Sam couldn’t stop the blush that was rising to her cheeks or the smile that was now plastered to her face. “Really?”

He hummed as he stepped toward her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She stood on her tippy toes to press a kiss to his lips.

“Do you already have a flight booked then?” She asked.

“Mhmm, it takes off at 1 am. I figured we could spend the day together and then you could just meet the others at the airport when Garrett goes to pick them up, since I should be there about 2 hours early.” He explained.

“Well, you need help packing then?”

“Nope, I’m almost done. Then we can do whatever the rest of the day.” He eyed her suggestively. She just laughed and tentatively slipped from his embrace to go to the living room, not leaving before getting another quick kiss.



The familiar door bell ran again as Garrett walked through the doorway a few hours later. He had returned to the house shortly after, jumping in the shower to start getting ready for the evening. He adorned his Ray-Ban glasses as he brushed his teeth, deciding to keep the scruff on his chin rather than shave, knowing if he was going to shave, he should have done it first thing this morning. He called the restaurant to make a reservation for 8:30, figuring in traffic and parking. He wanted it to be perfect, hoping for the best. With a couple hours left to kill, he decided to make a shopping trip to Pioneer mall, in search of the perfect outfit to impress her with. After about an hour with little success, he wandered into H&M, not quite sure what he was looking for. He was bombarded with an array of plaid, and decided to start there. After trying on about five shirts, he found one he was pleased with and decided to check out. With his bag in hand, he noticed a chocolate cart in the middle of the rotunda on the ground floor and decided to check it out. He vaguely remembered Mel saying once that she preferred chocolates to flowers, and hoped he was right as he asked the girl at the register her suggestions on the perfect combination. She eagerly helped him and within a half hour, he was on his way back to the truck. Normally, back in Arizona, if he was looking for time to kill, he would have called up Pat or any other number of his friends to hang out and waste time with, but now all of his friends were in a different state, making it harder for him to find things to do. He decided to waste more time at Powell’s, since it was on his way home. He found himself browsing the shelves, unsure of his literature destination but more looking to waste time, and as he stumbled across their collection of Awkward Family Photos, he was set for another hour or so before heading home to change. Checking to make sure the chocolates were still in good condition, he anxiously drove toward the music store where she worked, arriving about ten minutes early and parking in the same spot as before. He had opted to dress up a little bit, wearing dark jeans and the new matching plaid shirt, including the suspenders he remembered she loved and a matching coat. Tucking the box of chocolates inside his jacket, he shuffled inside and waited for her to get off work.

She saw him walk through the door, a smile on her face as she saw him dressed up. Things were slow at the store that night, so she quickly finished up what she was doing and was ready to clock out right at eight. Garrett entertained himself, looking through records as she was in the back, anxiously waiting for her. She sauntered up to him with a smile on her face, her coat on and her purse hung on her shoulder ready to go.

“Ready to go?” She held out her hand, already turning toward the doorway when Garrett stopped her.

“Yes, but, uhh, hold on, just a second.” He pulled the box of chocolates out from his coat and placed them in her hands. “These are for you.”

“Aww, no flowers?” She looked at him for a moment, her fingers wrapped around the box.

“Uhh, well, I, uhh, thought you said you liked chocolates better than flowers....” His voice was low, the shyness present as he blushed, wishing he had brought flowers.

“That I did. You were paying attention. Good boy.” She stepped toward him and gave him a kiss on the cheek before pulling on his arm to leave. Slipping her hand into his, she lead him out the door before he pulled her around the corner toward the truck. “So, where are we going?” She asked after they were settled and Garrett started up the truck.

“That, my dear, is a secret. But, we do have a reservation in a half hour, so hopefully traffic won’t be so bad.”

“A reservation? Oooo, fancy.” She giggled, opening the box of chocolates and admiring the selection.

Garrett circled the surrounding blocks, looking for an appropriate parking garage within walking distance, and found one still available four blocks away. He still refused to tell her where they were going, only informing her they would have to walk a few blocks from where they parked. Mel played along, still pestering him for more details but was satisfied with what little information he chose to give her. They walked hand in hand down the street, and Mel could only imagine the wide array of options they were surrounded by. As they passed a few sit down restaurants, Mel was out of guesses by the time they were across the street from their destination. Mel had taken a liking to running ahead across the crosswalks and leaving Garrett behind, and when he stopped at the corner, she realized he hadn’t caught up to her and turned around.

“What are you stopping for?” She turned around as she realized they had reached their destination and her jaw dropped. “Wait, the Melting Pot?! Y-you’re taking me to the Melting Pot?” He nodded a small smile, checking his phone as they were right on time. “I’ve always wanted to go here. How did you know?”

“Well, since I know you love chocolate, I figured what was better than a fondue restaurant? The best one in town, right? Or so I’ve heard.” Mel pulled him into a kiss on the sidewalk, the smile wide across her lips as she pulled away and headed toward the stairs that led down to the underground entrance. They were seated quickly per their reservation, and as the waiter left after handing them their menus, Mel sat wide-eyed at the array of options available.

“How do I even know what to choose? It all sounds so amazing!” She was lost in her own world of excitement, and Garrett sat back against the booth and laughed, happy he made the right choice.

He offered her anything she wanted on the menu, and she chose a few different options, some chocolate and some cheese, along with a drink from the specialties menu. The two enjoyed their fondue together, keeping a light conversation as they ate. Mel moved across the table to sit closer to Garrett as the night progressed, leaning in to steal a kiss or two in between fondue dips, and teasingly cutting him off when he tried to do the same.

“Where to next?” Mel took the last sip of her drink as Garrett paid the bill, and the two stared at each other for a moment before Garrett placed a light kiss on her lips. “Y’know, I have the house to myself tonight, if you’d like to come over....” Mel’s suggestive tone sealed the deal for their post dinner plans, and they quickly climbed out of the booth, weaving their way through the crowded underground restaurant and back toward their truck a few blocks away.

Mel chose to sit next to Garrett in the middle seat on the ride home, curled up against him and running her hand across his thigh as he drove. He squirmed in the seat, attempting to focus on driving, but her hand across his jeans kept distracting him. He eventually had to move her hand to his knee, intertwining their fingers and giving her a smile with a nervous laugh, mumbling about how he was going to crash the truck if she kept that up. She giggled leaning against his shoulder and resorted to playing with his fingers for the remainder of the drive. They pulled into her driveway, knowing no one would be home and quickly made their way inside. They made their way to Mel’s bedroom, her back against the door as soon as they stepped inside and Garrett’s lips on hers.

The eagerness of their touch brought their coats to the floor, each article of clothing being shed one right after another. By the time they migrated toward the bed, only their undergarments remained as they slowed their pace slightly. Garrett ran his eyes over her beneath him as he leaned in to kiss her neck, loving the sound of his name leaving her lips repeatedly. His fingers slipped behind her back, fumbling with the clips of her bra for a moment. A few choice words left his lips as he pulled away from her neck, frustrated that he couldn’t get the fabric untangled on his own. Mel giggled as he continued to try, eventually succeeding but embarrassed that it took that many attempts. His lips grazed her skin across her chest, and he felt her racing heartbeat and the inhale of her lungs. He leaned up to give her a light kiss on the lips, a smile on both their faces as they stared at each other for a moment. Mel’s fingers grazed against the elastic band of his boxer-briefs as his phone started to ring and another string of curse words left his lips as he pulled away with a heavy sigh, staring at the clock on her nightstand.

“What now, Garrett?” Mel’s annoyed tone was a stark contrast to the previous words from her lips moments ago.

“Fuuuuhhhhhhhhhhck. I-I have to go. I promised I would pick up John and Lucy from the airport. Their flight gets in in a little bit and they’ll be waiting for me. I have to go.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m so sorry, but fuck. Dammit I want you so bad, but I really do have to go.” He groaned a frustrated groan as he stumbled out of bed, searching for his clothes scattered across the floor. Mel sat up in bed, disbelief written all across her face as she watched him redress, and when he leaned in for a kiss, she cut him off with a glare.

“You’re lucky I want you so bad, otherwise we’d be over.” Her expression softened as he pushed past her defenses for a kiss anyway, and before she could pull him closer to her he broke away with another groan, staring at the clock and mumbling he really did have to go.

“I will call you later, I promise. I’m so sorry.” He stumbled out of the room and headed toward the truck, a somewhat sour mood settling in as he pulled away and headed toward the airport.



Rex and Sam spent the entire day in bed, their afternoon starting out fast but slowed down as the hours passed, just laying there, enjoying the other’s heartbeat. Every once and a while, they would sneak a kiss on the shoulder or on the cheek, but for the most part, the day was spent in silence.

“The sun’s gone down. I guess that means we should eat.” Rex said with a bit of a laugh.

“But I like just laying here.” Sam snuggled closer to him, moving her head toward the crook of his neck, burying her face.

He could only smile. He turned his body toward her then and whispered into her ear, “I’d love to just lay here forever, but I’m a growing boy and I’m hungry.” As if on queue, his stomach rumbled from under the blankets. They both laughed and slowly got out of bed.

“So, what do you want to eat? We could just have leftovers or -”

“No, I’m taking you to a real restaurant. Macaroni Grill sound good to you?” He said, cutting her off.

“Ooo, fancy.” She said with a smirk. She turned to change into something nice. Dress and leggings with flats. She put on a cardigan, knowing that since the sun had gone down, the breeze would be chilly.

He wore a nice pair of black jeans, a button up with a leather jacket. They both moved to the bathroom to brush their teeth and Rex brushed his hair.

They left the apartment and made their way to the closest MAX stop. They could see the train down the track and waited patiently for it to stop in front of them. They hopped on and waited for it take them the few stops before getting off and walking the remaining few blocks to their destination.

Rex pulled the door open for her and followed after her in.

“Two?” The hostess asked, holding up the specified amount of fingers.

They nodded and followed her to their table. They were seated and handed menus.

“What are you going to get?” Rex asked.

“The same thing I get every time I go to an Italian restaurant, Spaghetti and meatballs.”

“How original.” He said with a laugh.

“You can’t go wrong with a classic, though.” She said with a frown.

Trying to not think of his impending departure, the pair ordered their favorites when the waiter came by and the night was filled with pleasant conversation and jokes. They ate when the food was brought to their table and finished off their glasses of wine.

“We should probably get going, since it’ll take us a while on the MAX.” Sam said with a sad smile a little after 9:30.

Rex paid the bill and the two made their way back home. Sam changed to more comfortable clothes and Rex grabbed his suitcase, making his way around the apartment, making sure he hadn’t left anything behind.

They silently made their way out of the apartment, down the elevator and to the MAX again. Hopping on as the doors opened, they moved to a pair of seats and sat down.

“I’m gonna miss this.” Sam said quietly, as she laced their fingers together.

“I’m going to miss you.” Rex said, gazing into her eyes. She blushed at the comment and nuzzled herself into his side. He moved his arm around her, pulling Sam into him more.

When they finally made it to the airport, it was a quarter to 11. Rex checked in and printed his ticket from the kiosk and they moved toward the gates.

“You’re going to call me, right?” Sam asked sadly as she stared into him.

“Of course. I’ll even skype. We don’t even have to talk to each other if we don’t want to. We can just pretend like we’re still in the same room.” Rex said with a small smile.

She smiled too and he enveloped her into a tight hug. It was a hug where you didn’t really have to say anything. It was a “I’m going to miss you/Call me/It’s too soon to say I love you but I don’t know what to say to make this a not weird goodbye/I hope I see you soon/I’m not saying goodbye/See you later” hug. The hug said everything that they couldn’t quite address. She pulled away and gave him a sweet, passionate kiss. They broke apart and he finally made his way toward the gates, leaving her with mixed feelings. She sadly walked towards the doors until she noticed Garrett come up the escalator.

“How did you get here?” He asked.

“Well, uh, I was dropping Rex off. I figured I could just get a ride home with you.” Sam said, avoiding his eyes.

“Oh, well, okay.” He looked at her questioningly.

“You can’t tell John he stayed. He’d flip a lid.”

“You do realize everyone knows? You don’t hide the sex glow very well. The only reason John doesn’t know is because he’s so caught up with having wedding sex.” Sam blushed and continued walking.

They made their way to the gate that John and Lucy were supposed to be coming in at. They waited silently and it was only a few minutes before the couple was seen down the corridor. Lucy and John made their way to Sam and Garrett, greeting them.

“How was Ireland?” Sam asked.

“Perfect, absolutely perfect.” Lucy said.

“And how much of Ireland did you actually see?” Garrett asked with a smirk. John could only smirk.

“Shut it, Gary.” Lucy said, angrily. She stomped off toward baggage claim, leaving the boys behind. They found their bags quickly and the four headed toward the parking lot to their car.