Kiss of the Sun

"Charles would have loved it."

"You did a lot for him and his family."

She traced the hard line of his jaw with her fingers, savoring the stubble that had grown through the day. Specs of white paint were spattered on his neck. "No, he did it. It was his dream, I just helped out."

Bringing their lips together they kissed gingerly. Lilly knew that Charles could see the house from his perch high in the heavens, and knew it was what he always wanted to build for his family. A place where they all could come together whenever they wanted, a home filled with memories from before and a haven where they would build memories in their future. If it weren't for meeting Charles, she wouldn't ever be sitting on the tropical oasis that was now her own home. For the rest of her life, she would be thankful forever for meeting Charles Bowman. He brought her smiles and laughter in her youth and guided her to strength and love in her adulthood. She felt an overwhelming affection to a man that had given her everything.

Leaning into Jason, she finally understood why Charles put her in the will. In the back of her mind, his meaningful voice weaved through the salty mist in the air.

My sweet Lilly, if I ever needed to turn to anyone it would be you. You have the compassion of a saint, and the love in you could bring anyone together.

It was the last thing he had said to her in person, just before she left the clinic to go and work in the hospital five years ago. They continued to write each other, but that was the last time she had seen him. He entrusted her to build the house he envisioned and give it back to his family. Because he knew she could do it. She looked deeply into Jason's eyes and spoke the words she knew were true. "I love you."

They sat there on the beach for some time, kissing and holding each other closely while listening to the water as it came up to the shore. The sun set in front of them on that magical August night. They both knew that when it would rise again in the morning, it would kiss them and fill their day with a brightness that wouldn't ever fade. That summer Lilly had been given the chance of a lifetime, and in turn found a life that she didn't ever want to run away from. A house built to spread love from one generation into the next, a sense of freedom that divinely belonged to her and found the man she loved more than she thought possible. All guided by the watchful eye of the summer's sun.