Marathon Key

Andy finally reached the parking lot. Just a few more steps and he’d be inside the hotel. The air conditioned hotel. He pushed on until the automatic doors opened and greeted him with a blast of cool air. It made his sweat-soaked shirt stick to him even more, but that didn’t matter. He hobbled to the front desk. “Can I get a room for two nights?”

“You look like you’ve had a rough day,” the clerk observed.

“I drove six hours from Ft Pierce to pick up my girlfriend in Key West and she dumped me right when I got there. By text! I started back home and my car broke down here, by the way, where is here?”

“You’re on Marathon Key, still a ways to go to the mainland.”

“Well my car is in a shop about half a mile down the road. They have to order parts so I guess I’m here for a few days.” He took the keycard and for the first time surveyed his temporary home. There’s a gift shop; normally he’d never wear a touristy t-shirt, but clean and dry sounded good. A t-shirt, a pair of swim trunks, and a couple bottle of cold water - he’d worry about food after he took a shower and a nap. Man this place was tacky, like some northerner’s idea of what Florida looks like. Potted palm trees, tiki torches, and the ubiquitous stuffed alligator set up as a photo backdrop. It was absolutely -

“Wonderful!” she gushed as she entered the lobby, “It’s just like I envisioned! Oh, I have to get a selfie with that gator after I get a cute outfit from the gift shop.”

She turned her attention to him. “Hi, I’m Brandi!” He could practically hear the heart that she undoubtedly dotted the I with. “All my friends said I should go to Key West, but I wanted to go somewhere more exotic and authentic. Isn’t this exciting?”

“I’m too tired to be excited. Have fun.” He headed to the elevator wanting nothing more than peace and quiet.

A few hours later, showered and rested, he decided to check out the little restaurant across the street. It was a cozy little place with a great seafood selection. The waitress had just brought his iced tea when he heard a familiar voice.

“I just love this place! Oh, hi! Remember me? We met at the hotel. Can I join you?”

She was wearing the same t-shirt as him. Lovely. Still he didn’t want to seem rude, and he started to realize that having some company wouldn’t be the worst thing right now. “Sure, have a seat.” He handed her his menu. 'The seafood here looks really good.”

“Oooh, do they have salmon? I love salmon.”

“Number one rule of seafood: eat local. Eat salmon in the northwest. Eat trout in the west, Eat lobster in New England. Eat crabs in the mid-Atlantic. Eat catfish in the south. And in Florida, you want the grilled pompano.”

As they shared a grilled shrimp appetizer, Andy finally decided to open up. He told her the whole story of his long day, his heartbreak, and breaking down on this little island.

“You’re really dealing with it well,” she said, “I’ve been trying too hard to deal with my pain. I’m really not that bubbly little airhead you met in the lobby, I just - everything changed in an instant for me too. I just finished certification as a Nurse Practitioner, worked my way thru school with no debt. I was supposed to celebrate with my family, but, a drunk driver -“

“You don’t need to say any more. That’s a lot of baggage that you’re carrying.”

She sighed deeply, “And I tried to just put on a happy face and pretend everything was bubbles and sunshine and -“

“Wait,” he interrupted, “bubbles and sunshine?”

“Something my mom always says - used to say. I was pretending to be super cheerful to keep it together, but it didn’t really work. I spent an hour crying in my hotel room.”

The waitress arrived with their dinner. “This will put a genuine smile on your face.”

They talked while they ate dinner, complete with key lime pie. Both of them began to relax and let go of their pain.

“I know you’ve had a long day,” she began, “but I want to ask you a favor. I’ve always wanted to go for a moonlight walk on the beach, but I’m kind of afraid to do it alone.”

“That sounds like the perfect ending to an imperfect day.”

They walked along the beach. They waded into the surf. They sat and talked. They watched the sun rise over the ocean.

If you were one of the early morning joggers on the beach at Marathon Key that morning and saw a couple wearing matching t-shirts, then you witnessed something very special: the genesis of Andy and Brandi.