“I wonder where they could have got to?” Catherine was worried. Usually by now Devin and Gerry were long back.
Vincent tried not to let her know his concern, he didn’t want her worrying about unnecessary things, “They will be back soon, Devin wouldn’t take Gerry far, its too risky, he knows that. Come Catherine sit down here beside me, and let me tell you how much I love you.”
Taking his hand, Catherine lowered herself onto the deck, looking mischievous, “So tell me Vincent?”
He put his arm around her shoulders. Just her nearness inflamed him. Having her beside him with the hot sun blazing down upon them and seeing her tanned skin where the white bikini did not touch, was almost too much for him. She heard a slow rumble begin deep within his chest and recognised the signs, “Vincent!” she reprimanded him, “You said we would talk?”
He laughed at her, “And so we shall my love, afterwards.”
“Oh no, Vincent, not this time, there is more to life than sex.”
“Is there Catherine? Once I would have wholeheartedly agreed with you, but now...now I know this all consuming fire that can only be extinguished by our sharing this love...I’m afraid that I seem incapable of thinking about little else.”
Catherine lay her head on his shoulder and smiled, “I do love you Vincent, and every moment we have shared making love has been perfect beyond words, yet I miss our conversations, I miss your reading to me, listening to music, talking about life. Can we re-capture those things?”
“We never lost them my Catherine, They have just been filed away for a time. I have had so many new things come into my life that the things of my past have become unimportant to me, and having you here with me, knowing it is forever, is the best thing of all.”
“I find it hard to believe sometimes Vincent, that there was ever a time when I did not have you in my life. How I survived so long without you, I will never know. And to think that there were times when I was listening to the concert in the park, that you were just feet away beneath me, it seems incredulous. Its almost as if we were meant to be together, we just had to wait until the day when our paths crossed.”
He nodded, “Yes Catherine, I would listen to the people enjoying the music and sometimes I would feel so alone, having no-one to share it with me, yet now when I think back to those times, they aren’t so poignant anymore, because I now know that you were there, and I wasn’t alone after all.”
Catherine nodded, she felt the same way. “Once Vincent when I was there, I could only have been about nine or ten, and probably sat just inches from the grid, I was fiddling with a ring, that was too big as it had belonged to my grandmother, and it suddenly slipped off and fell down the grid, I was so upset to lose it, do you think anyone Below could have found it?”
“I have your ring Catherine.”
Catherine struggled to sit up to stare at him open mouthed, “You do! You found it?”
“It landed in my lap. I have it in a chest in my chamber. I used to sit and look into the diamonds, see their vibrant flashing colours and wonder who had looked at them before me. I cannot believe it was you.”
“Vincent this is marvellous. I can hardly believe it. You would not believe the days that I cried over losing it. I loved that ring, I too used to wonder about the people who had watched the colours sparkle before me, I used to watch my grandmother holding it up to the light, and it was a very old ring, her grandmother owned it before that.”
“There is something else too Catherine.”
“What?”
“The following day after you lost the ring, you came back to look for it didn’t you?”
“Yes, I hoped that the sunshine might pick out the diamonds and I could get a stick and retrieve the ring, but I could see no sign of it. Vincent...did you see me?”
“Yes I watched you from below, rummaging around on your hands and knees above the grid, I can see your face so clearly now. I marvelled at the colour of your hair beneath the sunlight, the anxiety in your eyes, I wanted so desperately to pass the ring back to you, but knew I could not. Its funny how I had forgotten, now knowing it was you seems too incredulous for words. Even more so as we were both only children then. We could have become such good friends.”
“Imagine Vincent, our paths were on the brink of crossing even at that time, do you still doubt that we were meant to be together?”
“Not anymore. Its sad isn’t it Catherine, to think of, we were both so young then, look what we missed. Our lives could have been so much fuller if we had met at that time.”
Catherine sadly nodded in agreement, words could not express the feeling of time lost.
The sound of approaching voices however, lifted Catherine’s spirits, and she got up to see Devin and Gerry swimming towards the boat.
“Where have you been? I have been so worried.” she scolded.
“Sorry mum”, Devin called back cheekily, “But look what we have found.”
He pulled his dripping body onto the deck, and put out a hand to Gerry to pass him their find. “Look Vincent, fresh coconuts, if you have never tasted fresh coconuts you have never lived.”
“Oh its years since I had one”, Catherine exclaimed, “Were they lying on the beach, they look so fresh?”
“Were they heck, I pointed them out to Gerry, and told her how I wished I could rock the tree and bring them down, when she suddenly scaled the tree like a squirrel, and was tossing them down to me.”
“I almost killed him, “Gerry giggled, “One just missed his head.”
“And I bet he got you back for that, didn’t he?” Vincent asked chuckling.
“But of course, though he had to get me out of the tree first.” Gerry laughed out loud as she thought of Devin’s futile efforts to climb the tree.
“In the end I threw a coconut back at her, and she lost her balance and fell to the ground. She landed on her feet.”
“How surprising,” Catherine remarked dryly.
Vincent threw a cushion at her, “If I didn’t know you so well Catherine, I’d say you were mocking the make up of my sister.”
The four of them laughed out loud.
“Come let’s eat,” said Devin, rubbing himself dry with a towel, “You would not believe how hungry I am.”
Gerry put her arms around his waist, and pulled him against her, “But darling, have you not feasted all day?” she purred.
“You will be the death of me Gerry”, and then turning to Vincent and Catherine he added, “I don’t know where she gets all her energy from. Catherine is Vincent anything like her?”
“No,” Catherine replied, winking at Vincent, “he’s worse.”

“Hey Cathy”, Devin called across to her later that day, Catherine was helping to clear away the dinner plates, and take them to Vincent and Gerry whose turn it was to wash and dry, she looked up to see Devin standing with a tape recorder in his hands.
“I didn’t know you had brought anything to listen to music on Devin.” she answered walking over to him.
“I’d forgotten I had, I brought it to have some fun on our last night here. How long is it since you went to a party Cath?”
“What kind of party?”
“What kind is there? The best. One filled with music, dancing and wine, one to make your senses reel. One for romance”, he added mischievously.
“What kind of music did you bring?”
“Oh none of your conventional stuff, plenty of time for that back home. I thought that as we were making this a holiday to remember for Vincent, we could let him live a little. Do you dance Cathy?”
“What to pop music? Yes I do, its been quite a while, but yes I can do it.”
“Great, then we my dear, are going to show these two what it is really like to be alive!”

They set the scene, much to the amusement of Vincent and Gerry who were looking on. Clearing deck space, Devin hung balloons and lanterns high above the deck, to catch the atmosphere, and Catherine found the wine and left it in a bucket of cold water to chill, while Devin sorted out the tapes.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Vincent asked them.
“No, Vincent, you conserve your energy. Cathy and I are going to show you both what to do, and then we expect you and Gerry to join us.”
The sun had just started to set, before Devin and Catherine were satisfied with their work, “Now all that remains is to be dressed for the occasion,” Catherine said, “I am not dancing in my swim wear.”
Going to the cabin to change, Vincent followed her. His eyes lit up when she peeled the bikini from her skin, and grasping her from behind he flung her down onto the bunk with him.
His hands caressed her smooth satiny skin, and shivers coursed through her veins. After the humour they had shared all day, it felt good to be serious again. Catherine rolled to face him, and he brought his face down to her breast. Her breath caught in her throat as his tongue tantalised her nipple and traced a line of soft kisses across her skin. His nearness and the rising of his desire, made her throw her arms around him clinging to him, drawing him closer to her. “Catherine”, he murmured, her name between kisses, his eyes had become pools of unleashed passion, and Catherine moaned. She felt the power of her love surging through her body, wave after wave that crashed against unseen rocks, and wound her legs around his back.
Suddenly a hammering on the door, startled them, “Cathy! Are you ready yet?”
“Go away!” Vincent roared, and heard Devin laugh, “Come on Vincent let her go, plenty of time for that later. The show must begin.”
Trembling against the pull to quench their desire, they both drew apart, though their eyes drank in one another’s passion, and reluctantly Catherine tore herself away from Vincent’s arms to dress.

The music was already blaring, long before Catherine and Vincent walked hand in hand back to the deck.
“You call that music?” Vincent shouted raising his hands to cover his ears.
“Yes, isn’t it fantastic?” Devin shouted back, “Cathy come show me your favourites, I’ll set them up to come on next.”
Going over to stand at his side, Catherine flipped through the box of tapes. Several caught her eye, then she noticed one that really made her smile. Nudging Devin she told him, “You have simply got to play this one.”
He took it from her, “Good choice Cathy, I’ll make sure it comes on when the stars come out, its one of my favourites too, it makes me think of my childhood, and he started to sing, “Starry, starry night,” the words of the song, Vincent by Don McLean, as he then selected a song that would really get the party underway.

Catherine was surprised at how the pull of the music stimulated her. It had been months since she had danced, the last time in London with Joanna, and while the tranquil music of Beethoven had a calming effect on her, pop music had the total opposite. Drinking the wine she felt the liquid set her pulses racing and combined with the beat of the music, the lanterns shining brightly overhead and the man she loved by her side, Catherine felt complete.
Devin grabbed her hand, “Time to let yourself go Cath”, he cried, pulling her onto the dance floor, “Too many wallflowers around here already. Start as you mean to go on, that’s what I say.”
Catherine found it easy to dance to the wild music. It took her back years, even further than the time in London, and closing her eyes, she let her body groove to the music. Vincent watched her in fascination as her body twisted and turned in time to the beat.
“Look what we have missed Vincent!” Gerry came to stand alongside him, “It looks fun doesn’t it?” she closed her eyes and let the music pull her. Vincent watched with humour as her hips started to move of their own accord, and she joined the two on the dance floor. He was amazed, that someone who had never danced this way before could take to it so naturally. Her cat-like grace stunned him, and he looked at Devin who was watching her keenly and saw the unmistakable rising of Devin’s desire for his wife.
Vincent chuckled, he could understand Devin’s feelings, for the sensuous way that Catherine moved was making his own body react in the same way. Reaching for Vincent, as she passed breathlessly by, Catherine told him, “Vincent, come enjoy the music, let it wash over you. Close your eyes and let the beat guide you.”
“If I close my eyes Catherine, I might fall overboard.” he told her dryly.
Catherine giggled. He had never seen her quite like this. She smiled at him, pulling him onto the dance floor, “Its the wine darling,” she told him, “It has gone straight to my head.”
“And I thought it was my love that intoxicated you.”
She laughed gaily, and Vincent allowed her to lead him into the dance as the music changed to a sensuous song, and he closed his eyes and leaned against her, letting his body move in time to the music. He found that the sensations it brought him were magical, breathless and fun.
For hours they danced and drank and kissed. The wine made them sillier and sillier but they didn’t care, they were wrapped in one another, and Devin and Gerry had long retired to their cabin, leaving the two of them alone, lost in one another’s passion.
The moon had risen, and the stars blazed overhead, Vincent had never felt so happy, or so in love.
The music changed again, and through the mists in her mind, Catherine became aware of the sound and the lyrics of Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers. It had been years since she had heard it, “Oh Vincent, I love this song. Listen to it with me, hold me tighter my love.”
Putting his arms tightly around her, they moved with the music, listening to the words, and Catherine lay her head on his shoulder and sighed. Listening to the song, the closeness of him, the beauty of the night, nothing could be better. It was sheer perfection.
“Catherine,” he said, as the song came to an end and there was silence as the tape recorder switched itself off, “There is just one last thing I would like to do.”
“What is that Vincent”, she asked dreamily.
“To swim beneath the stars in this glorious ocean with you.”
“Then let's do it.”
“But I have no swim wear on Catherine. And neither do you.”
“Then we can skinny-dip.”
She laughed at his expression.
“That’s go naked Vincent. Come on you will love it.”
His eyes widened, “Yes I think I shall.”

The water was as cool as silk upon their skin, and the salty freshness delighted them as they floated on their backs looking up at the stars. “This is wonderful Catherine. I shall remember this night all my life.”
“Yes Vincent, from now on when we walk beneath the moon in Central Park, we shall come back here in our minds. I love you so much Vincent, our relationship is like a fairy tale come true. You are my prince.”
He was thoughtful at her words and after a time, drew in a deep breath, “If only it were that Catherine. If only as in fairy tales you could kiss me and turn me into a real man. One that does not have to hide in the shadows, one that could walk at your side every day in the sunlight. That is what I wish for with all my heart.”
“Vincent do you think I would care for you more if you looked totally as a man. I find you overwhelmingly attractive as you are Vincent.”
she laughed gaily, “Especially when you wear those swimming trunks.” the thought stirred her.
But Vincent did not return her humour, he was serious, “That’s because you know me, you see what is inside and not what is outside. Others see me and shudder, I become their nightmares not their dreams.”
“Vincent what we have is beyond reality. You stop and think for a moment. If you were the man you wish to be, there is so much you would never have known. Vincent I have known these real men. Their cultural background is the same as yours, they too, have a family that love them, every which way I look I see similarities to you, but my world has made them ruthless. They think they love, they do not, they think they put others ahead of themselves, they do not. My world is full of selfish men Vincent, full of people trying to be better than the next man. In stark contrast Vincent, your world brings out the best in a man, makes him work for the good of others. Someone like you Vincent, would not have survived in my world, for your heart is too pure.”
“Then I would wish to be a real man in my world Catherine. To give you all you have ever known. Not expecting that you should give up your life Above to live Below with me, to spend it in secrecy, to give up your friends, not being able to take our children to the places that you went as a child, all the little things Catherine that mean so much. I have stolen them from you, because we dared to love.”
“Vincent can I never say anything to convince you? Where would I have been now, but for you, the night you found me in the park. If you were not one for the shadows Vincent, would you have been there when I needed you the most. But for you Vincent I could be dead, I owe you my life, and it is unthinkable that I dedicate it to anyone but you.”
Vincent sighed, “Catherine I can never thank you enough for loving me as you do, so unselfishly. Sometimes though with all that we have shared, I find myself believing it is all a dream. That I will wake up and you will not exist. How can one so beautiful as yourself look at me and see the handsome man you claim to see before you. I find it beyond comprehension that you can give yourself to me the way that you do. When I used to come to your balcony, I thought I would die from shame for you to see how I felt about you. When you touched me, I felt burned. I craved you incessantly, you do not know how often I wanted to love you, the desire drove me insane.”
“I do know these things Vincent. Do you think you were the only one that had those feelings? I knew how you felt by the savagery of your killings. Can you understand how it made me feel to know that you vented your frustration in that way? I wanted you so much Vincent, the way a woman wants the man she loves, yet I had to be patient and wait until you realised this was the only way forward for us.”
Vincent drew a deep breath, and let it out slowly, “She was right of course, he had seen the desire in her eyes, it had fuelled his own desire for her, on more than one occasion.

They drifted to the shore and got up out of the ocean, Catherine shivered and instinctively Vincent put his arms around her.
“I never realised we had floated so far from the boat,” she told him, “ I feel so tired, I don’t think I could swim back. Should we stay the night on the beach do you think?”
“I’d like nothing more Catherine.”
They walked hand in hand across the sand deep in thought, remembering the way things had once been, until they reached a canopy of palm trees, and lay down beneath them. The sand was still quite warm, even though the sun had long set, and Vincent revelled in its gritty softness against his skin, the warm night air upon his nakedness. So much had happened to him these past ten days, so many first times to delight his senses.
Pulling Catherine into his arms, he felt her relax and knew she was sleeping, yet he did not want to close his eyes. Tomorrow was to be their last day in this paradise, and he wanted to take it with him, every sight, every sound, every lingering sensation.
Watching Catherine sleeping, he felt a warm glow spread through him, their child lay beneath her heart, a brother or a sister for Jacob, and a great rush of love and pride swept over him. His Catherine, his wife, the mother of his children, the answer to his dreams, he loved her so much.

Allowing his mind to drift back to the day when Devin had returned from his trip to his home in the Appalachian Mountains, Vincent smiled at the memory. He and his mother and sister had grown so close and had taken to spending time by the mirror pool where it was tranquil and quiet, and afforded them time to think and remember things from their pasts that each needed to hear, when suddenly Gerry sprang to her feet, “Devin!” she cried, “He’s back”, and she was gone in an instant, leaving Vincent and Marie stunned by her speed.
“That’s how I must have looked every time Catherine was near,” Vincent told his mother. She patted his arm, “Does me good, you and Catherine together.” and he had hugged her. “Catherine is a wonderful woman Mama, and so are you.”
Marie had blushed happily and took hold of his hand to help her to her feet, as they made to follow Gerry back towards the home chambers, just lost in one another, happy to be together at last. And Devin had been beside himself, unable to contain his excitement the moment Vincent had walked through into Father’s chamber, “Vincent!, its all arranged, I’ve thought of everything.” Catherine had frowned, what on earth was Devin talking about? Vincent seemed to know, and Father listening in, had grown anxious, “I’ve seen that look before my boy,” he’d told Devin, “What are you two up to this time?”
Vincent had crossed the room to stand beside Father and put an arm affectionately around the older man’s weary shoulder’s, “Don’t be cross Father, and try not to worry, but Devin has been working on a plan to let me see the sunshine.”
“Have you gone mad!” Father had exploded, “Of all the foolhardy things, Devin, you know it is impossible. If I thought there was ever the slightest chance I would encourage you wholeheartedly, but there isn’t, it just isn’t possible.”
“But it is Father, this time I have arranged it properly, it is foolproof.”
“Rubbish Devin, you are the only fool to believe this.”
“NO!” Devin would not be put off, not this time, “I have thought of everything, look Father, Cathy and I brought Gerry and Marie thousands of miles in an aeroplane, did you not think I wouldn’t feel afraid about that. If they were to be spotted, especially Gerry. We had to walk across the airstrip to the plane, had to walk up and down mountains before that, people were everywhere, but we always dodged them.”
“So, you think dodging crowds in New York city, will be as easy as a few mountain folk, do you?” Father snapped.
“No, I would not be so stupid, but I did have a plan incase anything went wrong, and now I have enlarged on it, I believe it will work.”
“Huh! you and your plans, they have almost got Vincent into trouble in the past, you think you have covered every avenue, but in your quest to satisfy you always leave out some important aspect.”
“Not this time Father, I truly have thought of everything.”
“Then run this great plan by me then Devin, and let me be the judge of that.”
Sitting down, everyone listened intently while Devin unravelled his plan, “I well know that people in the city would notice Vincent and Gerry if they were to go Above. So I had to think of something so that if they were seen, it would not matter, it could be explained, in terms they would accept.
The thought came to me, if I got a boat and had on board, costumes, makeup, masks, cameras, props, food, drink and three very special people, then I could make the people Above conclude that I was making a movie. And if we left at nightfall few would see us anyway. We could take the boat off to an uninhabited cove I have already chosen, and then Vincent, Cathy, Gerry and I could spend ten glorious sun filled days just swimming, sunbathing and enjoying ourselves. But most of all Vincent would get to feel the sunshine upon his skin, and Catherine, Gerry and I would get to share that joy with him.” Father was thoughtful. Vincent watched the many expressions that etched his face while Devin had spoken. He himself liked the sound of it, it could work, and looking at Catherine he could tell she was impressed also, it was all she had ever wanted to be there when his dream came true, but Vincent knew that he would only agree, if Father was easy about it. He could not bear to go and have Father worry about him so. Finally Father nodded, “Okay, it might work. I’m sorry Devin, it would appear that for once I have underestimated you. When did you plan to go?”
“The day after tomorrow Father, that is if Gerry is ready to marry me tomorrow first.”

The wedding had been fabulous, and Vincent and Catherine renewed their own vows silently with their eyes as they listened to Devin and Gerry say theirs. And Father was so proud to welcome Gerry as his new daughter. “Now I have my life complete”, he had told everyone, his eyes be-dimming with tears, “To have a unique son like Vincent is one thing, but to have a unique daughter like Gerry too, well, what more could a man wish for?”

The following night was one Vincent would always remember, as the four of them had left Father, Mary, Marie and Jacob, and headed for the dock. And they never encountered a single soul, much to their relief and had sailed out to this beautiful isolated cove.
And Vincent would never forget that first morning. Lying on the bunk alongside Catherine, the first thing he became aware of before he opened his eyes was the bright sunlight upon his eyelids.
Knowing he was awake Catherine had spoken softly to him, “Vincent keep your eyes closed, and take my hand, I am going to lead you up onto the deck. Devin and Gerry are already outside waiting for us.”
Careful not to let him stumble, Catherine had led him to where Devin waited with a camera to capture Vincent’s first expression of the sun on his face, the sea breeze in his hair. And even with his eyes tightly closed, Vincent had felt that new experience. He had delighted in the feel of the breeze upon his skin, ruffling his hair, the tangy salty smell of the ocean, the warm sunlight upon his face. Opening his eyes he was spellbound by the scenery around him. The colours so vibrant, so bright, the ocean so blue, so clear, the pretty little fish as they darted beneath the softly rippling water, the beach just yards away with its golden inviting sand, the towering palm trees gently swaying in the breeze, and the sunlight...the sunlight...more than he had imagined, blazing down upon him, upon Catherine, picking out the colour of her beautiful hair, magnifying everything in its brilliance, enhancing every colour, lighting up the shadows, lighting up Catherine’s eyes.
Devin had clicked the camera, again and again, using up two whole rolls, at Vincent’s changing awesome expressions. Devin had never known such satisfaction. At last here, he had given to his brother what he had always dreamed of, which most people took for granted, but to Vincent had been the most elusive, to stand beneath the sunlight with those that he loved. And as Father could not be there to share this momentous occasion, Devin had thought of the photographs to capture the moment for him.
From that day on the four of them had swum in the crystal water, had build sand castles like children, had collected sea-shells, sunbathed and enjoyed one another’s company. The fun they had, the silly things they had done, even Devin and Gerry’s daily chase around the boat, all these things had sent Vincent’s spirit soaring. He was free, for the first time in his life he was free, and he had loved every second of it.

Catherine stirred beside him, her eyes opened, “Vincent? Are you still awake?”
“Yes I was reminiscing on everything. It has been more than wonderful being here these last ten days, having you and Devin and Gerry to share everything with me, the best days of my life, and I don’t want it to end. Yet tomorrow we must start the journey home. So I don’t want to close my eyes Catherine, I want to savour each last moment.”
“Vincent there is just one more thing we must do, to add to this treasure.”
“What is that my love?”
“To make love Vincent, here on the sand, beneath the stars with the sound of the breeze singing in the palm trees. I want to capture this night in my heart forever.”

Hours later, they awoke to the sunrise upon the aqua blue of the ocean, setting a golden trail across the rippling water. It reminded Catherine of molten gold drifting towards them.
“Vincent?” she rocked him gently to wake him, “You have just got to see this.”
Vincent opened his eyes and sat up to drink in the scene that lay before him, “It is beautiful Catherine, I am glad that you showed this to me, I would not have wanted to have missed this for the world.”
“Let’s swim back to the boat shall we Vincent, in that golden sea, it will be a perfect end to a perfect vacation.”
Vincent nodded, and helped Catherine to her feet. The whole beach looked like grains of refined gold, and as they stepped into the water the shimmering, sparkling water turned their limbs to gold as they sank beneath its depths, as the sun turned the whole ocean golden, enriching the colour of the droplets of water upon their faces. Vincent reminded Catherine of a golden god with his flowing hair and beautiful golden fur, and she felt like his goddess.
Reaching the side of the boat, they stilled to listen, treading water, before climbing aboard, they were grateful to hear that neither Devin or Gerry were up to see their nakedness.
Then gathering their clothing in silence, they dressed, and watched in silence with arms entwined as the sun left the horizon to flame in the blue of the sky.