"Does that mean you want to stay with me?" she asked with a pained face. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you again."
I pulled her close to me, feeling her heart beating against my chest. For the first time since my first college affair, I felt that she was the only one for me.
"I will never leave you, Teuila," I said, squeezing her arms. "I've never felt such strong feelings for anybody my whole life. You're the only one I want to be with—forever and ever."
As we held each other close, I peered down at the warm water washing over our feet. Bobbing on top of the surf I saw a skinny threaded shell, shaped like the head of a spear.
"Look at that," I said, pulling away for a moment. "This one almost looks like a unicorn horn."
"A what?" Te' said, furrowing her brow.
"It's another one of our silly Western fairy tales. But it also reminds me a bit of your ingenious little fire drill. I think I'd like to keep this one as a memento of my trip to your island."
Te' rolled it around in her palm and nodded as she peered up at me.
"Would you like me to attach it to a wrist bracelet made out of palm twine? That way you won't lose it."
"I'd like that very much," I said, kissing Te' gently. "My very own Anutian charm bracelet."
Suddenly, a larger swell washed over our feet and I peered down seeing a shiny green stone. It was about an inch and a half in diameter and shaped like a heart, glistening in the morning sun. I picked it up and examined it carefully, shaking my head in amazement. Under its emerald-green coating, I could see tiny specks of black embedded in the rock.
"I can't believe," I said, shaking my head. "I think this is a natural Jade stone. What are the odds we'd find it on a remote beach like this?"
Teuila picked up the stone and turned it around in her hand, rubbing it gently with her fingers.
"It's smooth and soft, just like you. What a perfect name for such a pretty stone. Do you mind if I keep this one to remind me of you?"
"Of course not, baby," I said, my eyes tearing up in a swell of emotions. "Do you know what this unusual shape means?"
"Is it from another one of your American fairy tales?"
"In a roundabout way," I chuckled. "It's a powerful symbol of love where I come from, symbolizing the shape of our hearts that beat strongly when we feel especially close to someone. And I can't think of a more perfect memento for you to take away from your native island, because that's exactly how I feel about you."
I paused, as I gazed gently into her eyes.
"I love you, Teuila."
"If that's what all this pounding in my chest is that I'm feeling right now, then I guess I'm in love with you too, Jade. I think the Gods are trying to tell us something."
As I looked at Te' with tears of joy streaming down my face, I noticed some movement at the edge of the cape a few hundred feet offshore. I narrowed my eyes trying to focus on the object, then my eyes flung wide open when I realized it was the bow of a canoe slicing through the water. I grabbed Te's hand and pulled her behind one of the dunes.
"What is it?" she said, recognizing the fear in my eyes.
"It's a canoe," I said, pointing in the direction of the craft. "I think your father is getting closer than we hoped."
Te' poked her head carefully above the dune and peered in the direction I'd pointed, then ducked her head back down, her chest puffing up and down in frantic bursts.
"Is it from your tribe?" I asked.
"It looks
like it," she said. "If we stay hidden, hopefully they won't come ashore. We haven't left any visible signs of habitation nearby. They're probably just searching the boundary of the island to see if they can find any sign of us."
As we lay flat against the side of the dune, I heard the sound of rhythmic singing emanating from the lagoon, growing progressively louder, then it began to diminish. After another minute or so, Teuila lifted her head again.
"What are you doing?!" I said, grabbing her hand. "They might see you!"
"It sounds like they're almost past the lagoon," she said. "I just want to see who they sent out to look for me."