Oasis

“You ever want to go out on her, just say the word, and we’ll make a day of it,” Buddy said. 

Sarah smiled appreciatively at Buddy’s thoughtfulness. Buddy was her Navy husband Jonathan’s first officer and best friend. 

“Thank you,” she replied, giving Buddy and his wife Jennifer a hug. 

Glancing at the boat, and running her hand over the wood grain, “Oasis is all your’s. Just like Jonathan would have wanted. He wouldn’t want this beauty to rot away in a harbor. He’d want her to be out on the water where she belongs,” Sarah grinned at Buddy, “where you belong.”

Buddy smiled sadly at Sarah. “I’ll take good care of her. What do you say we take her out for a test drive?” 

Sarah hesitated, but nodded. Time to start over, make new memories. Stop living in the past. 

As Sarah, Buddy, and Jennifer sailed out of the harbor, Sarah found her spot near the starboard side of the boat, sat down and curled her legs under her. She let the waves and the gentle rocking of the boat bring back raw, fresh, bitter-sweet memories of her and Jonathan sailing on the Oasis. As a tear slipped passed her eyelid, Buddy came up next to her. 

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” he said.

Sarah quickly wiped the stray tear from her cheek.

“You’re not interrupting, I was just lost in memories. I could use the company.”

Buddy sat down. “Sarah, I am truly sorry for your loss. I should have done something. I should have searched for him…I should have brought him home to you.”

Patting Buddy’s hand, Sarah smiled reassuringly at him. 

“You know as well as I do, that he was not going to put the ship in danger on a futile search and rescue mission. That’s why he ordered you not to search for him. He knew it would put you right in the enemy’s crosshairs. He did what he had to do to protect the ship, and so did you. It’s what he wanted. I don’t blame you."

Gazing out across the watery expanse Sarah continued, "I am so thankful for your friendship. For your commitment to Jonathan and to me. Without you and Jennifer, I don’t think I could have made it through this last year. It’s time for me to move on. If he was still alive, you and I both know he would have found his way home by now. I can’t keep holding my breath, hoping for him to walk through the front door. Jonathan was born on the sea, lived on the sea, and for all we know died at sea. It’s where he belonged. I’m at peace with that, and it’s time for me to move on. Giving the Oasis to you is the next step in that process. Only time will tell what happens next.”

Once they had pulled back into the docking slip at the harbor, the three friends embraced in farewell. 

“Well,” Buddy replied, “whatever is next for you, Jennifer and I will always be here. Don’t forget that.” 

Walking barefoot along the beach, away from the harbor Sarah felt lighter and more hopeful than she had in a long time. Glancing along a smattering of beachfront houses a sign caught her eye, “For Sale”. Intrigued, Sarah decided to take a closer look. She felt excitement at the idea of owning a house on the beach, a retreat. A place where she could heal, and rebuild her life after losing Jonathan. A beach house would be perfect. A way to stay connected to the sea, and to Jonathan.

Six months had passed since she bought the beach house, and what a blessing the house turned out to be. She had begun to understand that the sea and grief had similar effects. Both could engulf her if she let it. Over the last six months Sarah had learned of the healing power of grief and the sea. Powerful and consuming, yes, but once she learned to stop fighting the current and accept the grief, she began to see the soulful cleansing that these powerful forces possessed. Helping her to move past what she had lost, and be able to looking forward to what lies ahead. The beach house was a respite from memories of Jonathan, not a reminder of what she had lost. Each morning here felt fresh and new, a place for her to just be. 

For now, Sarah was content with walking along the beach, sand between her toes, wind in her hair, and smelling the salty sea air. Her morning stroll down to the shoreline had become a ritual. She began to make her way from the shore to the back deck of her beach house, wiping her sandy feet on the welcome mat. Once inside she made her way into the kitchen for a refreshing glass of sweet tea. Just then the doorbell sounded.

As Sarah opened the door, her face paled. She looked like she’d seen a ghost. She thought he was dead. After eighteen months listed Missing In Action, her presumed deceased sailor husband Jonathan stood at her front door. In disbelief she reached hesitantly to touch his face, reassuring herself that he was real. As they embraced each other Sarah glimpsed the Oasis docked on the distant shore.

“How?” she asked through glistening eyes.

“It’s a long story. Sorry it took me so long to find my way back to you. For a while I was lost, but then I remembered my promise. I will always find my way home to you,” Jonathan replied with the lopsided grin she had missed so much.

There in the doorway she melted into him, letting the months of loss, loneliness, and fear fade away. Her husband was finally home. Jonathan had once found the sea to be his oasis, and the beach house had become Sarah’s oasis after losing Jonathan. Now reunited, Jonathan and Sarah found their oasis in each other’s arms.