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The restaurant that Íris had brought her too was tucked between a pair of whitewashed buildings with its terrace strung with fairy lights, and radiating from the warmth of the evening as a gentle breeze wafted in from the ocean.
The scent of grilled sardines and lemon drifted through the air blending seamlessly with the distant echoes of laughter from the harbour.
Sarah felt Íris’s hand slip from hers only once they reached the table; a part of her was wanting to reach back out and reclaim it, the slight twitch of movement as she hesitated did not go unnoticed “Sit” Íris said, pulling out a chair with a playful flourish “You’re in for a treat; this place, it serves the best arroz de marisco in the Algarve”
Sarah couldn’t help but smile, a slight rosy-tint surfacing on her cheeks as she felt a flutter in her chest “I’ll take ye word for it, ye ‘aven’t steered me wrong yet” she answered, her Yorkshire rumble rolling from the tongue
Íris’s grin softened her face “I try” she said softly, that Portuguese drawl softening
The evening meal would pass in a haze of shared dishes and easy conversation; Íris spoke of growing up near Porto, commenting about the summers spent swimming and her grandmother’s cooking; Sarah couldn’t help but giggle more than once, it was real amusement, real laughter at the way that Íris described her youth; it softened something tight in her chest
Every so often, Íris would lean in, her should gently bumping or brushing against Sarah’s, her voice dropping into a soft murmur and each time, Sarah felt her breath catch.
When they’d finally stepped back out into the night, the air felt cooler, the streets quieter, the moon hanging low over the rooftops casting a silver light across the streets “Walk with me?” Íris asked, her eyes twinkling
Sarah gave a slow nod, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear “Always” she answered, her voice softening
They began to wander through the streets, turn down the narrow alleyways, past shuttered shops and discover various sleeping cats curled on doorsteps, as they walked, they could hear the distant waves echo through the buildings, a steady rhythmic crashing of water beneath their footsteps.
As they reached a small overlook above the beach, Íris slowed, her eyes flicking briefly to Sarah, she saw it registering in her expression; Sarah had realised, it was were they’d watched the sunset earlier, the sea below shimmering beneath moonlight, endless and inviting “It’s so beautiful at night” Sarah whispered
“It is” Íris agreed, though, she was not looking at the ocean
Sarah felt the weight of that gaze; the warmth; the steady patience, it made her pulse quicken “Íris…” She began, her words catching in her throat, she swallowed nervously and tried a second time “I…, there is…, there’s somethin’ I’ve been meanin’ to….”
A burst of laughter drifted up from a group down below on the beach, breaking the moment like a pebble tossed into a still pond; Sarah flinched, her eyes flicking down as she felt the fragile courage she’d built up, scatter like loose sand.
Íris didn’t push; she simply stepped closer, her voice softening enough so only Sarah would hear “You don’t have to rush” she murmured “I’m not going anywhere”
Sarah ‘s breath trembled; she wanted to say what was building inside, she wanted to tell Íris all of it; but the words tangled, heavy with fear and hope, instead, she managed a small, earnest truth “I like bein’ with you”
Íris smiled, a gentle smile…, a knowing smile “I like being with you too”
When their hands brushed together, Sarah’s fingers curled around Íris’s, tentatively, but deliberate – Íris squeezed back, a quiet promise; they simply stood there for a long moment, hand-in-hand, with the moonlit sea stretching out before them.
Written By: Westley H.
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