***

The one moment he had been waiting for had arrived. His head was spinning as he stepped into the dark house. His fingers fumbled for the light and he headed up the stairs to toss his suitcases on the floor.

Yawning, all he wanted to do was relax. After he tossed some things into the wash, he changed and went to the kitchen. Slowly, he reached for a delicate crystal glass and the bottle of chilled wine he had asked for from the ice bucket that sat nearby. Pouring a sizable amount into the glass, he smiled.

He opened the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. Sighing softly, his pale green eyes took in the sights. The vast ocean lay in front of him, the blue-green water crashing against the sand. A serene smile spread across his face and lay upon his lips.

He plopped himself into the mahogany stained swing. He swirled the burgundy colored liquid in his glass, then lifted the glass to his lips. The liquid slid soothingly down his throat. Another smile.

His eyes lifted to the sky. Pink, orange, red, yellow, purple. They all mixed together like oil paint on the canvas of sky. He wanted to reach out and touch the clouds that were tinged with the softest of rose and lavender. The sunset reflected in the suddenly calm water.

Yes, this is what solitude was. He was alone, and yet, not. The beautiful light of the setting sun rest upon his smiling face. The only sound that filled his ears was that of the water lapping at the sand.

Another sip of wine. And another soft smile. His body settled against the cushions of the swing as he began to rock gently. No words escaped his lips as he watched the sun slowly set.

Suddenly, he lifted the glass to the sky, a silent toast to the beauty that he called home. Home was his safety net, his solitude. He knew he was able to be alone here. His "alone time" was precious; as it was rare to even have a single second of peace in his line of work (which he loved, but still...) let alone a whole evening. Granted, he wanted his soulmate with him 24/7, but for one more fleeting moment, he wanted peace and quiet.

His lungs filled with the salty air and his soft, full lips parted into a sweet grin. The sun finally disappeared and the moon and stars came out.

" Good night, sweet solitude, " he thought.

Standing up, he headed inside. After closing his eyes for a moment to store the beautiful sunset he has just watched in his memory, he reached for the phone to call his love. He had his moment...now it ended. Another one would come soon, but for now, he was just content with that single peaceful evening of solitude.

He dialed a familiar number and waited as the soft voice filled his ears.

“ Josh? “ he spoke softly, nervously.

“ Hey love, “ the sweet voice said.

“ Come home…with me…” he said quietly. “ Please…”

He didn’t hear anything on the other line. His heart pounded. He never heard his door open and close. He then felt a pair of arms slide around his wait, pulling him into a warm embrace.

“ I am home…” his love said with a tender smile. “ Home is where you are…”

“ I love you, “ the younger man said.

“ I love you too…” his soulmate said, kissing him softly. “ Now let’s make this home ours…”

“ I like the sound of that…” the younger giggled, grabbing his hand and dragging him up the stairs.

The only sound that remained was that of soft giggles and a door shutting.