Free When Tomorrow Ends by Cyndi Raye Page B

can’t imagine bringing a small child in this,” Maggie whispered, a solemn look on her face.
     
    Jake whispered in her ear. “You would make a wonderful Mother.”
     
    Maggie turned away.
     
    “Are you crying?” Jake asked, serious. When she turned to him, he saw the anguish on her face. She knew as well as he did the occupants more than likely never made it to shore.
     
    Jake wanted to impress Maggie, make her love him more and have so much fun together. This sadness was not going to help his case. “I’m sorry baby. I didn’t realize this boat was here.”
     
    “It’s not your fault. I’m not even sure why it bothers me so much. Hey, would you take a look at this!” Maggie began to run over the rocks and broken pieces of macadam left from the broken road. Jake followed and before them stood a makeshift fort someone built into the driftwood. As they followed the paths, it looked like different areas to sleep and even eat. Maggie began to explore and Jake found it hard to keep up with her.
     
    He was so glad she was smiling again. They were taking one path around the back of the shelter when Maggie jumped back against him. “Oh!”
     
    A naked man, sitting on a large rock, his arms draped over his knees looked up at them and nodded. “Don’t cha chust love the Keys?” he said.
     
    “I’m so sorry to intrude,” Maggie told him. She was quick to apologize. “I’m Maggie and this is Jake.” She reached out to shake his hand and took a deep breath. Jake did the same and shook the skinny arm. The man looked like he hadn’t eaten in a week.
     
    “I can offer you a sandwich,” Jake told him before realizing he would be giving away their lunch.
     
    The man nodded. “I’m obliged son. I’d like it if you both sat down to eat with me.”
     
    Jake looked at Maggie and shrugged. He didn’t have a problem with sharing their lunch. “Sure thing,” he told the naked man.
     
    “Name’s Chaz,” he told them as he stood up in all his naked glory. Jake watched as Maggie tried hard to keep the smile from her face. They were going to have lunch at a naked man’s table. The sign did say clothing optional, Jake mused.
     
    He motioned them towards a makeshift wooden slate where he sat back down again. Maggie followed and sat alongside Chaz and Jake did the same. He reached in his cooler and brought out two beers. He offered one to Chaz.
     
    “I’m obliged,” he said and set it down in front of him, his eyes on the cooler. Jake pulled out two sandwiches. One he gave to Maggie and the other to Chaz. He pulled out a small plastic bowl of strawberries that looked fresh and luscious. Jake picked one up and moved the bowl to the center of the makeshift table.
     
    “Help yourself,” he told the others. He wasn’t sure he wanted to show Chaz the last item in the cooler. Maggie split her sandwich and handed him half. When he took it, he moved his hand off of the cooler and she pulled it towards her.
     
    “I knew you had more in there, now what do we have?” she asked and looked inside. Her eyes shot back to him in sudden surprise. “Oh Jake, how sweet.” Jake saw her look at the naked homeless man and back to him. “I think I’ll save it for later.”
     
    He baked a cupcake for her with a heart on top. Inside the heart, he wrote I love you with one of those bakery pens. He would do anything to prove she was worth it, even bake a silly cupcake. A smile crept up his face as he chewed on the sandwich, knowing she didn’t want to share her special cupcake with the naked homeless guy. It made the whole process worth it. He didn’t even care that he would have to clean up the disaster of a kitchen he left behind after his cupcake baking ordeal when he got back home.
     
    She smiled. “I bet the kitchen looks like a tornado went through.” He nodded and smiled as he remembered long ago when they first met and how he cooked her breakfast one morning. She got drunk at the full moon party and after a