Chapter 36: Day 20, A Wedding Day
Somewhere in the deep Pacific along a vast, white beach, I stand and face a smiling Trent. Both of us wear white cotton shirts, khaki shorts, and hemp sandals. A light wind blows in from the ocean, caressing my warm face. A painted blue-purple sky, bare of clouds, accompanies dusk. The temperature is a moderate eighty-four degrees without humidity. Suspended around us is the smell of violets, honeysuckle, and lilies. The floral taste lingers on the tip of my tongue, distracting me from this evening encounter with the lifeguard at my side, Trent Michael Long.
On the beach, behind us, sit our families and friends on white, foldable chairs. A dozen or more people have flown in from their hometowns for this specific event. Each are dressed in comfortable and
