With Love, From Italy

The Italian sea sparkled under the sunlight as the small motorboat skidded across its surface. If Leigh looked close enough she could make out the odd sea creature darting beneath the surface. She gripped the side of the boat tightly as she leant over the edge, allowing herself to be captivated by it all. It had been a while since she had been out on the ocean, and that definitely wasn’t in Europe. Feeling a tap on her shoulder she turned back to find Belle grinning at her, a hand on her head to keep her hat from blowing away.

“This is amazing, it’s actually making me feel better,” the brunette commented and Leigh pulled a face.

“That’s the healing power of the ocean. I hear if you stick your face in it all your wrinkles will disappear,” the redhead said, keeping a perfectly straight face and Belle narrowed her eyes.

“What wrinkles?”

“Oh you know, the ones here and here…oh and here,” she said, pointing to several places and Belle immediately reached up to touch her face. It took several more moments for the brunette to realize she was joking, hitting her playfully.

“Don’t worry sis, it’s only another two years until you’re thirty and then they’ll appear,” Caleb commented, receiving a much harder slap than Leigh. It was enough to rock the boat and little and Tom pointed a finger at the boy from where he was manning the rudder.

“You’re a little shit talking about wrinkles over thirty, if you capsize us I’m taking your life jacket.”

“That’s murder; and anyway, are you even qualified to be steering this thing? Should I be taking over?” the younger boy quipped and Leigh leisurely turned to look at him, leaning against the edge of the boat.

“Are you anymore qualified? Show us your boating license or I call bullshit,” she said, smiling up at him sweetly as he began to grumble. Part way through their conversation she had lowered herself from the bench seat to the lower part, leaning her back against the wall of the motorboat. She had Tom and Caleb’s legs on either side of her and as she closed her eyes to soak in the sun she ignored the occasional brush of contact she received. That was until Tom kicked her a little harder and she wrapped a hand around his ankle.

“No falling asleep now,” he warned and she glared up at him. Eventually, when she felt she could muster the energy she released him and twisted herself around, peering over the edge once again. She sat like that for a while until silence descended and the boat came to a halt, floating gently on top of the waves. Immediately she spun back around.

“Please tell me you cut the engine and this isn’t some horror movie where we’re about to be eaten by an eighteen foot shark,” she cried and he nodded in assurance as Caleb jumped to his feet, pointing out towards the horizon.

“There she blows!”

“That’s for a whale, not a shark you idiot,” Belle corrected and the boy flipped her the finger, sitting back down. “Unless you propose Moby Dick’s going to appear.”

“Guys, do we really have to argue here? This is a small boat and it’s too lovely a day for it,” Tom interrupted before things could get too heated as Leigh refocused on the water. Now that they had come to a halt she could see things even clearer, the sunlight sending beams of light under the surface. Carefully she leant over, and reaching down trailed her fingers in the water. It was warm to the touch and she let out a content sigh; she figured that when they returned to shore she would probably venture in for a swim. However, she had to admit it was a lot more peaceful out here without the crowds, even if Belle and Caleb were bickering. She was conscious of Tom shifting in his seat, and so it came as no shock to her when she heard his voice close by. “It’s really something else out here, isn’t it?”

“It’s beautiful. Though I’m still holding higher expectations for the likes of French Polynesia,” she replied, turning her head to look at him. He was leaning with one elbow propped against the crook of the back corner, his eyes shifting from her to the ocean.

“Every man’s paradise.”

“I know they edit photos, but come on, have you seen all the images around for Bora Bora? Who needs heaven when there’s a place like that,” she said, grinning at the mere thought of the place. Tom simply pulled a face though, allowing his own arm to drop into the sea.

“I think you and I have very different ideas of heaven, darling. Though certainly it would be a wonder to see one day.”

“Hey Belle, Caleb, reckon you guys could arrange for the next family holiday to be in Bora Bora instead?” Leigh asked and the brunette snorted.

“Sure, someone has to beat Tom out on this one. He’s got a big enough head as it is.”

“My head is perfectly normal size thank you,” the man chuckled, flicking water at his cousin who let out a short squeal. The boat rocked again with her flinching and Leigh gripped the sides to save herself from losing her balance and falling out. Tom’s hands immediately came to hover over her in case she should need help and she smiled reassuringly at him.

“We should definitely swim,” Caleb suggested, glancing over the opposite side of the boat and Leigh and Belle exchanged glances.

“Remember how I called you an idiot before? Yeah, you’re living up to the word. My flinching before almost sent Leigh overboard, how are you supposed to climb back onboard without capsizing us?” Belle pointed out, folding her arms across her chest and Caleb rolled his eyes.

“We could always make him swim back,” Leigh suggested and his eye roll turned to a glare. The next moment the redhead found herself sprayed with water from the boy, letting out a loud gasp. “Oh you’re dead pretty boy.”

Cupping some water in her hands she flicked him back, managing to wet Belle in the process and it quickly escalated into a full blown water fight between the four of them. They weren’t bothered by the fact that they were receiving glances from passing vessels as they laughed and screamed and somehow succeeded in completely drenching each other. As Leigh finally sunk down and admitted defeat she found her breath racing and the t-shirt she had donned over her swimwear sticking to her. “I admit defeat to the Blaker’s and Hiddleston’s. You’re a hard bunch to battle.”

“I call on you two as my witnesses to this majestic admission,” Belle said, rising to her feet and holding her hand in the air. Leigh tugged at the girl’s swimwear and she sunk back down quickly, batting the foreigner away. As the redhead swung back around she spied Tom glancing down at his watch and tilted her head.

“Are we keeping you from being somewhere?” she asked and he looked up, shaking his head before smiling.

“No, it was a general curiosity to the time. My sister and brother-in-law should be arriving very soon, but I’m confident they can navigate themselves.”

“Perhaps we should head to shore anyway cous? I dunno about you but I could do with a proper frolic in the water and taking in the view, if you know what I mean,” Caleb suggested with a wink, causing a series of groans to erupt in the boat. Nevertheless they all agreed that it was probably time to head back and with a tug of the cord Tom brought the boat back to life.