Aaron & Chiquita

"I'm sorry sir but that's very rude! Can't you see that she's scared?"

"I'm so sorry sir", The man replies in a French accent, "But I couldn't stop staring at that beautiful bronze skin. It has to be noticed."

"You take pictures?" Chiquita asks.

"Yes, I'm a photographer. I take pictures of models all around the world, and I've been in the business now for thirty years."

"So you're saying that you want her to be a model?"

"Yes, why not?" He gives her his card and walks away.

"Is this something that you want to do?" David asks.

"Yes, I think I will be interested."

They smile and walk away. Chiquita becomes a model, and graces the covers of Italian Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Jet, and many other magazine covers. She and David travel around the world to go to her fashion shows, and it all comes very natural to her. The camera loves her.

She and David enjoy life together, get married, and have two children. They have fraternal twins that they name David and Denise. They are beautiful kids and enjoy a great life.

Chiquita is very nurturing at heart, and this makes her a fantastic mother. David teaches the kids everything they need to know before they go to kindergarten, and they are smarter than most kids their age.

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Many years pass, and Aaron and Annie are in their sixties. Surprisingly Annie's parents are still alive. Her parents live with her and Aaron, and they take care of them. Their kids are very successful. Two of them are bankers, one of them moved to Ireland and purchased a Gothic style house. The other married a man so rich he retired at thirty, and they had a house built in Long Island, New York. Alex, their youngest child took on after their mother Annie, and became a successful sociologist.

Annie and Aaron decide to take a vacation, but they don't know where. They spend the whole night deciding where they would go, and they finally reach a decision.

Chiquita is painting. Painting became her thing since she met David. He taught her how to paint, and said that painting was a big stress reliever. David has diabetes, and has since resorted to maintaining a healthier diet. He and Chiquita are vegetarians now. Their daughter, Denise, lives in California. She joined the military when she was eighteen after high school, and is doing very well for herself. Their son Eric, became a singer and songwriter.

David and Chiquita are proud of their children. They decide to take a vacation, and ask Eric if he wants to go with them.

"No, you love birds enjoy yourselves and tell me all about it when you come back", he points his finger at them, "And don't forget to take some pictures."

Chiquita and David smile. David kisses Chiquita on the forehead and looks at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're so beautiful, it's like the first time I saw you."

"Oh stop!" They cuddle together.

"Eww, time for me to leave", Eric exclaims. He is very handsome. He's tall just like his father, and has his hair cut in a low fade. He used to have curly brown hair that reached his shoulders, but he cut it years ago.

"Where would you want to vacation dear?" David asks Chiquita.

"I don't know. You want to go to Tahiti again?"

"Nah.. We've been there many times. How about... the place where I met you the first time?"

"You really want to?"

"Yes."

They arrive on the island, and haunting memories touch Chiquita. The smell, the scenery, and the memories. Everything.

"Wow!" She exclaims, "They have hut hotels here. So much has changed since we've been here."

"I agree. I'm hungry, lets get something to eat."

Aaron and Annie arrive on the island. They are holding each other.

"Remember this is where we met?" Annie asked, "The rock, and that river!" She points out.

Aaron holds her closer, "Yes I remember. I was a boy then."

"We were both young kids.."

"So much.. Has changed.."

"I agree."

They go to the biggest hotel on the island, and they get in for free. They know that Aaron is the celebrity who was bought up here. He and Annie are treated the best. They are given larger portions of food, and the best customer service.

After Aaron and Annie eat, they take a walk, and they see a couple. The woman has short black hair, and she's wearing a sundress. The man has a tan, is wearing a short, khaki shorts, and some sandals.

"Chiquita?" Aaron exclaims.

"Aaron?!"

"Wow", David answers.

They smile very hard, and they hug each other for a long time. Annie smiles and a tear comes out of her eye. Aaron puts his hand on Chiquita's head, "You cut your hair, and you look so young still."

"So do you, you look very handsome. So you two got married huh?"

"Yeah, you remember Annie?"

Annie smiles and shakes Chiquita and David's hands, "It's been great meeting you two again finally."

"You too, you two look great." David answers.

"I've seen you on the television, and in the papers", Chiquita tells Aaron.

"Yeah, I've seen you too. You do fashion design. My daughter loved your leopard print lingerie."

"Yeah, they taught me how to make my own clothes.

There is a pause, and Annie breaks the ice, "Let's take a picture together!"

"Let's!" David agrees.

Chiquita and Aaron take a picture together first, and then they all take a picture together. It is a picture that can stand the test of time.

Chiquita looks at the boy who is now a man, how mature he has grown. Aaron looks at the girl who became a woman, and who isn't afraid of her own shadow anymore. They both want to cry, and their hearts speak a million words that their mouths don't.

"Let's have dinner together", David insists.

"It's on me", Aaron says. They all walk to the hut hotel for dinner. They eat seafood and drink wine. They catch up with each other. Everyone has aged pretty well, and time has been good for all of them.

David rests in the bed, and Chiquita tells him that she's going for a walk. David is already sleeping when she tells him that. Chiquita smiles and turns off his lamp.

Annie is fast asleep, and Aaron decides to take a walk around the place. He walks to the sand, and thinks of Paulie. He remembers how when Paulie died, he and Chiquita left his body on the boat, and let it sail away. He starts to cry.

"Aaron?" Chiquita calls.

He turns around and wipes his eyes, "Hi."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just thinking about Paulie. I never forgot about him. He would've been so proud of me, well us."

"Yeah. I think about him still. Not a day has gone by since I haven't."

Chiquita says nothing.

"Chiquita.. I'm sorry for what I said to you."

She has never forgotten, "It's okay."

"That was very brutal."

"I'm sorry too."

"For what?"

"The things I said."

"It's okay", he smiles, "I have a lot of love for you in my heart."

"Same here."

They smile, he takes her hand and pats it. They talk for about thirty minutes, about their lives, and their children. They are proud of each other.

"I have to go now", Chiquita says, "David will wonder where I am."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. Nice seeing you."

"You too", and they walk away opposite directions.

A week later, both of their ships arrive to take them to the port and back to America. They put all of their stuff on the ships. Aaron and Annie have their ship, and David and Chiquita have their own as well. It's like everything was when they left the island that first time years ago.

"Ready to go?" David smiles.

"Yes, I'm ready to go back home."

"Okay. How did it feel to visit home again?"

"It was good, but I don't plan on returning again."

"Why not?"

She shakes her head.

"Oh yeah.. This place still haunts you right?"

"Exactly. I feel like my mission is over. I've visited this place after so many years. Everything has changed, it just doesn't feel like home anymore."

David puts on his sun glasses, "I understand."

"How was it like visiting home hon?" Annie asks.

"It was all right, but I feel like I don't need to come here anymore. Everything seems so different. They destroyed the cabin where I used to live. I don't know why. It had so much history."

"At least you faced everything."

Aaron looks at his wife, and they kiss. Ironically, his ship and Chiquita's ship ride at the same pace. They wave at each other. That is the last time they see each other again.