Writing Exercise - Word Love

This is another Writing Exercise I did awhile ago. The word for inspiration was Love.
*****

Kira couldn’t believe it. After so long, she was finally there . . . Australia. It had been her dream for two years after she had met James rather unexpectedly online one evening through one of several networking sites she was on. There was something about his photo that had drawn her to him. His smile and the twinkle in his eyes had immediately gotten her attention so she’d sent him a message. It didn’t take them long to be friends, followed by flirting and so much more than that.

Growing up had been an ordeal for Kira. Emotional abuse, verbal abuse and on occasions she was hit with wooden spoons. She guessed it was her mother’s equivalent of a birch stick. All of it had left its damage on her to the point that when she married, she married someone just like her mother. His abuse was the same, only in some respects more and worse. When he hit her, it wasn’t with a wooden spoon but with his fists – though he was always careful not to strike her face. The last time he’d laid a hand on her she’d been 7 months pregnant with their daughter. To that day she still couldn’t remember what she’d said, but he never struck her again. Only the memories of the striking stayed with her. The words had faded when the hysteria had.

When she had divorced her husband, he had continued to emotionally abuse her, using the kids in his games. But in the end, she had gained custody and no visitation for him, so finally she’d had a chance to start healing . . . a bit.

Still, for so long she thought she was broken. That she would stay broken forever. That she was truly incapable of loving someone and that maybe she just wasn’t really loveable. Years she was like that, willing to keep going through life, because that's what life was; living for her kids. Making sure they grew up healthy and as happy as she could make it and try to hold onto herself for as long as she could until there was truly nothing left of her.

Kira had encountered several suitors, but none of them were successful with her; brief affairs, no serious emotions. That was her life and she had accepted that fate; until it got turned over on top of its head by James.

It had started simple; short emails back and forth and sending little pictures and funny captions to each other. It progressed to flirty mass emails where it asked questions “What would you do with me if you found me in your shower” giving many options from calling the police to joining and other things more pleasant. It were those that they finally realized their true attraction for each other and in time that became love even over thousands of miles and almost a day difference between them.

But here she was. Finally . . . She stood on the sand looking out across the ocean in New Whales. It was beautiful. The sky was beautiful. Kira couldn’t honestly remember being this happy, except the days her children were born.

Sighing contentedly, she felt hands move tenderly around her waist.

“What are you thinking?” James whispered in her ear. “Missing home?”

“Not yet,” she replied as she turned to kiss him tenderly. “Part of me feels I am home.”

He smiled and caressed her face, leaning toward her for another kiss; one with more passion. She lost herself in it.

“When will the kids join you here?” he asked as the kiss ended and their eyes met.

“One week,” she replied.

“Then we have a week just for us,” he grinned wickedly, scooping her into his arms as he headed to the car.

She laughed. “What are you doing?

“I’m not going to waste a moment,” he said.

Carefully sliding her into the car she pulled him to her. “I love you,” she said softly and cuddled against him.

He had awakened a part of her that she had felt dead. Because of him, she had looked toward the future; not just making it through each day. He gave her a dream. He gave her his heart . . . He had given her his love and she had willingly given herself to him.

“I love you, Kira,” he said, whispering her name, like a breath on the wind.

For the moment, life was perfect and she couldn’t ask for more.