The Ebbing of Time

We long for that which we will never truly possess. Like time, the ocean is too vast to comprehend, so we make it smaller, thus the Aquarium. We walk through underwater tunnels as life swims around us, a feeling of peace and grace as massive beast glade effortlessly feet from us. We are guilty of doing the same thing with time. In trying to comprehend it we break it down into more managable increments. We use items like a simple tape recorder to forever hold on to a moment, but like the ocean, time can never be mastered or contained. In clinging to the past, we can forget the gift of the present. In the stillness of the aquarium there is a treasure to be discovered when two people allow their presence to be present.

"Why do you always have to bring that tape recorder?" Asked David.

"You know one day you will be grateful we have these recordings." Stated Johnathan with a smirk as he took the red handkerchief from his partner's lapel and used it to wipe the jam from David's cheek.

"Grateful." David scoffed. " We have been coming to the same aquarium for over 50 years. Our first date was here, we brought our kids here, and our grandkids here, hell I'm sure we have seen the fish grandkids," states David as he points a wrinkled finger at the large glass aquarium the two are sitting in front of.

"David, you shouldn't talk with your mouth full," Johnathan says as he once again wipes David's mouth.

"Besides, why does it matter? We have nothing to do, and I like it here. I like to come and think." said Johnathan with a smile.

"Bah, I could be home watching the game, and where is my hat?" asked David.

"For the five hundred times it's on your head, and you would not be watching the game; you would be sprawled out in that old torn-up recliner that I have begged you to get rid of with the game watching you," Johnathan states as he begins to pack up the picnic basket between the two.

"Hell, if you don't like old torn-up things, why are you with me." Said David looking Johnathan in the eyes.

"Because you would be lost without me, and more importantly, I would be lost without you," Johnathan says softly as he kisses his husband; a giant whale swims by, causing the natural light to fracture and cascade over the two. For a moment, it was like David and Johnathan were back in high school at their prom, dancing like no one was watching as the spotlights moved back and forth.

"You have always been the best of us," said David as he grasped Johnathan's hand. "I do love coming to the Aquarium; it just..." David pauses and looks up at the thousands of fish swimming around them.

"What is it?" asked Johnathan.

"It's just that for you, this place reminds you of all we have accomplished and built together, don't get me wrong, it does the same for me as well, but it also reminds me that our story is coming to an end. We are not young anymore, and we need to sit down and start making plans..."

"David, time is getting away from us. I forgot we have to pick up the dog from the sitter," said Johnathan standing up and turning from David.

"Johnathan, stop; we can't run from this. One of us will pass, and we need to be prepared. This aquarium has seen some of our happiest memories, reminding us that life goes on.

"Life does go on, and we have plenty of time. We can talk about this later." Johnathan said, picking up the recorder and pressing stop.

SIX MONTHS LATER

Johnathan presses stop on the recorder as he looks at the giant whale swimming in front of him. He takes a red handkerchief and wipes the tears from his cheek. Six months to the day, it has been six months since he lost the love of his life. After leaving the aquarium, Johnathan took his partner home, and Johnathan noticed something strange. Instead of turning on the football game, David went into the kitchen, pulled out his old phone log, and began making calls. Johnathan knew he had called their two sons and their daughter, but he didn't know that he had also called and made some other arrangements.

When the two went to bed that night, David kissed Johnathan tenderly on the cheek and said I love you. The following day David was gone, but his plans had already been set into motion. Johnathan didn't have to do much; he could hardly do anything with all the grief he now carried. The children flew in and helped, but it was David and his planning that Johnathan had always admired the most. Johnathan had always believed the aquarium was his idea, and David was just going along to appease him, until he saw it. When Johnathan saw the casket, he knew. Coral blue.

Johnathan tried to hold it in as he thought back to the day of the funeral roughly six months ago. Now he sat in their spot at the aquarium listening to the recording they had made, and he had just finished the last one. With a sigh, Johnathan took a deep breath and tried to stand, but his chest tightened, and the room rippled like the waves in the large tanks. Steading himself, Johnathan stood up and began to walk towards the exit when he paused. There he was, standing with an outstretched hand. David smiled and held his partner as they walked back to their bench and stared at the thousands of fish in the large aquarium.