A Journey of Love Through Time - Part 3
A few days later, in the late afternoon, Cendra received another message from Mario. Short:
“Tonight. I’ve got a thermos of tea and a blanket. Will you come?”
She didn’t need to think twice. She grabbed a warmer sweater, thick socks, and smiled softly. She felt it clearly—his presence was no longer just an invitation, it was becoming part of the everyday life she wanted to belong to.
They met at the old pier, where she used to go fishing with her father as a child. The season was over—no tourists, only a few seagulls circling above the darkening water and the scent of evening drawing near.
Mario stood by the railing, dressed as always—simply, but with that kind of elegance that doesn’t need expensive clothes. In his hand, he held a paper cup, and beside him lay a thick woolen blanket. When he saw her, he smiled as if he had been waiting for her all his life.
- I made tea with orange and cloves. Supposed to warm you up, but
I haven’t tested it myself. - he said half-jokingly.
They sat together at the end of the pier. Beneath them—the dark, almost black sea. Above them—a sky full of clouds moving slowly, heavily, as if they, too, carried secrets.
The blanket wrapped around them both, and their cups of tea steamed in the cool air. Cendra leaned lightly against his shoulder. Not because she was cold—just because she wanted to be closer. His presence was like a familiar melody—calm, yet stirring something deep inside.
They didn’t speak much. Only from time to time did they exchange glances, smile, or comment on the sound of the water. But the silence wasn’t empty—it was a shared space where they could meet without pressure.
At one point, Mario pulled a small flashlight from his pocket and lit up the wooden planks beneath them.
- You know what I like about places like this? - he asked softly. - Here, there’s nothing you have to pretend. You don’t have to be anyone. You can just… be.
Cendra looked at him, then back at the sea. The waves lapped gently against the shore, as if the earth’s breath had synced with their own.
- I used to be afraid of silence,” she admitted. - I thought it was emptiness. But now… I think I see it’s where you can truly meet someone.
Mario took her hand. He didn’t squeeze it hard, just held it, with such tenderness that Cendra felt something inside her soften. She was no longer the woman who had to know everything. She was now the woman who allowed herself not to know, and to trust. A moment later, without looking her in the eye, he asked:
- Cendra… what do you think about just giving this a chance? No plans, no declarations. Just… letting it happen?
She didn’t answer right away. She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling the warmth of his sweater against her cheek. Her heart beat steadily, yet strongly—as if to the rhythm of a new, yet familiar song.
- I think that’s the most beautiful thing we could do. - she whispered at last.
And then, without words, she leaned in and kissed him. This time there was no rush. The kiss was soft, calm, full of acceptance—that you don’t need to know everything to truly feel something.
The sea kept whispering. And they sat there, holding each other at the edge of the world, which had now become their shared place.