It's late afternoon, the time for long shadows and a fiery sky. The taco stands and other food joints are doing a brisk business. The beach is fairly deserted as they drive up.

The sun is enjoying it's last glorious rays of the day, before settling down behind the deep, luminous clouds for the night. They jump from their gleaming white jeep...a couple of teenagers. No. Wait! These are not teenagers, why they must be middle age, maybe. But they're dressed for adventure...if you know what I mean.

By now there are very few on the beach and they're all young...surfers, sun-worshippers, that kind. But these two, we watch them trail off down the beach. They're barely touching, just hands, and they seem to know where they're going. We can't stand it. We follow them, trailing slightly behind. They seem to go on forever, just walking, slightly touching, not even talking, or very little. We follow, hiding behind rocks and ledges not wanting our presence to interfere with their seemingly magic moments.

All of a sudden they stop. They stand facing the sea. Only hands touching, gazing at the long shadowy rays from the orange-pink tropical sun. They seem to stare into eternity, as the waves caress the shoreline. What do they see? They seem to be dazed, hypnotized by the splendor of it all. Or is it their own splendor that holds them captive? They decide to sit, and their bodies mold together, their arms entwine and their heads slightly tilt together. As they sit and stare beyond the horizon, we note how they become shadows, blackened by the descending sun casting its spell across the southern beach. The beautiful southern sunsets, tonight made more beautiful by the presence of these two lone figures merging together on the lonely stretch of beach. They don't talk. They just sit. They seemingly don't have words, or need them.

Who are they? We want to know so badly but we can't interrupt this moment. We were left to surmise. Two lovers, apart for too long? Two lovers, together for just a short time? Two lovers enduring sadness? happiness? Two lovers after a quarrel? Obviously two lovers, but the rest we'll never know. And that's the best part...the beautiful part...the romance and the mystery.

We left them there and wandered back to the beach front. But our inquisitive appetite had been whetted. We were better for the journey. For awhile we would appreciate the sunsets more, appreciate love more, appreciate life more, and appreciate each other.