A smell of sand. The feel of the ocean breeze. The sound of her teasing laughter.

These are some of the things that occupy his mind on and off for the past year. While he has currently split ways with her, parts of her drift in and out of his mind like the ocean tides. While he has been pestered and swept towards answering not-so-subtle questions, he's happy to ride it out. Helping rebuild his hometown was more important than getting stressed over gossip.

There were quiet times when he looked to the stars, and wondered where the winds of fortune took her. He thought about her reasons for traveling with him. And he remembered how they parted at the end. His insides were like a small storm, full of several feelings and ideas. But with all storms there was a calm center in him. So he made a promise to see her again, and he let her go. And her farewell smile was like the sun breaking though the clouds.

He felt happy to be home and reunited with his family at last, and his heart was bursting with sunshine. It was smooth sailing for him after the town was rebuilt thanks to his friends being there for him. While he was happy with his life returning to normal there was a part of him missed the sound of her voice, like waves gently breaking on a cliff. So he wrote her a letter and a month later he left on a brief journey.

It took him several days to reach the town where she lived, and there were no dark storms on the horizon that threatened to sweep him off course. Memories of his year long adventure drift over him like clouds of emotion. Some sad, some happy, some that filled him with old guilt. But he put them all behind him. He has new horizons to seek, new oceans to charter.

At midday he sees the city on the horizon, and he can hear the nearby ocean, its salty tang faintly tickling his nose. And then he sees her, for the first time in over a year. She's grown a little, her eyes are as clear as the ocean. Her wit is as sharp as a coral reef. Her smile is as warm as the sun above him.

"It's been a long time." She says, while he feels his heart beat like a roaring wave. "But it's good to see you again."

He let's his eyes show the depth of his emotions before smiling and sweeping her into an embrace.