The Secret Island
Chapter 77: Another Sunrise

The sunrise this morning was so peaceful, and Martin felt the light on his skin so warm that he hadn't felt it in a long time.

When we were staying side by side together like this, Martin blamed himself for letting the time pass for so many years before he had to courage to talk to Celine again. If he had gone back to see it as he initially promised, we could have been seeing the sunrise together time and again.

But he also knew that everything had its own time-just like his mental wound that needed time to heal. Memories can be forgotten, but deep down, Martin knew full well that he got good memories. All the emotions and every event were still vivid in his memories. He just needed to accept that fact.

One day, he had to tell Celine what had happened to him. And that day would arrive soon enough.

Before the day arrived, he chose to enjoy the moment for now-seeing the woman he loved and her face while she was watching the sun slowly rise and smiling. She was still drowsy. Celine hadn't gotten enough sleep. That was expected after days of minimum sleep. He still feels grateful she had been working so hard to have time to be here with him.

"Why do you keep looking at me? I guess you found something you like?"

Martin realized he had been looking at her for way too long. And Celine must know why he was looking. She still looked at the sun while smiling broader. "Yes, I like what I see...you are very beautiful," Martin said honestly. He rarely compliments anyone, but Celine is an exception. He always speaks his feelings. She held his hand tightly and kissed his cheek.

"That was a reward for your sweet words." She was in a good mood this morning, and he was glad he was the reason for it.

"Hmm..." He smiled back at her. And Martin did what the old version of him would not do, and that was to close the distance between us with a kiss.

When he opened his eyes when his lips touched her, he saw in close proximity that Celine opened her eyes wide, stunned that he did the unexpected. The display of affection was really not what he usually does.

"Why are you so in shock? Don't you like my kiss?" Martin asked with his usual monotonous tone while he pulled her into his arms. It was quite funny to consider that it was Celine who was always being the one in control when it came to our romantic interactions. And she didn't know what to do when he was the one initiating any act of affection.

"Martin!"

"It's still very early in the morning. No one would see us...." He said while stroking her hair. It was great to feel this way.

"I don't know...." Celine suddenly became shy and hid her face in his shirt. He chuckled. There was really no one else around.

"We will have to go back to our life soon since my holiday is coming to an end. You will go back to work, and I want to spend more time with you like this. We might not have any time together like this much...." "Stop saying that...."

Her mumbling was part shyness and part resentment of his statement.

"I really think that we might not have time together much with your increasing responsibility. I might not have time to say I love you and hug you close like this or kiss you in public. That freedom is rare." Martin hugged her tight, and he thought back to the time when he couldn't do this; back when he was hiding his feelings.

And now he didn't have to hide his feelings anymore.

Because he loved her, and he got all the time to tell her that. That gift was precious.

When he looked into her eyes, Martin could tell that the time to confess to her about his past was coming soon.

****

When we got back to London, everything went on as Martin expected, Celine was busy with her work, and he worked on his plan. Things were not complicated at all, but for someone who was drifting through life aimlessly, he had made his life more complicated. This plan he was having would tremendously affect his life.

That plan was the job that he was applying.

He saw the risks of prioritizing one task that if it failed, then all his hope would disappear with it. He saw the risk of losing all the courage he had gathered. Martin wouldn't dare to think about the things that might happen. Martin didn't even want to think about the worst that might happen. The remnants of what had been his career success turned into sharp shards of glass that repeatedly pierced his heart every time she thought about it.

The mistake is one thing. And its impact is another matter...

He thought of himself as a recovering failure. He didn't know where to fix his own problems, let alone fix his career. Where to begin? He hadn't had a real plan for a long while. Years actually. So... where to begin? When he looked at Celine, everything became more clear.

When he got a chance to confess his love and respond to the love she gave him, he started to understand.

She didn't want the old Martin that had everything under control and knew exactly what to do with his life. And he didn't have to try to go back to being that man. He didn't have to be perfect for her.

He just needed to be himself. And today, Martin completely understood that. He just needed to be himself, a normal man that loved a woman and wanted to do everything that made her happy.

He looked at the reflection of himself in a mirror before leaving his room.

"Today will be a great day. Don't forget to make her happy." He smiled and talked to himself in the mirror before leaving his room for the mission of a better life.