My sea fairing love (1-/30-2/4 -- Open)

Almost obsessively after receiving Dexter's letter, every chance she found free time, she'd make her way to the boardwalk and seem to search for any sign of a ship heading to port, in hope that her love was aboard. It was quite difficult for her to have gone so long without him by her side.

She'd spot many ships pulling into the docks. Rose would feel winters bitter chill across her exposed face, and hear the fierce ocean winds scream across the shoreline, but still no sign yet of the enigmatic Dexter Drake.

A middle-aged woman wrapped in a heavy wool coat walks up to Rose and places her hands on the railing at the edge of the boardwalk. She pulls out a cigarette and lights it. Inhaling deeply she stares dreamily off into the darkness. Her eyes are watery and glassy. Whether its from the cigarette smoke, the fierce wind or from raw emotion is difficult to discern...

As she stood in the chilly darkness, looking out, she'd pull her cloak closer around her form as the wind picked up. Noticing movement nearby, she'd cast her honey brown gaze to the woman, taking in the seeming sadness in the woman's eyes as she'd give the woman a nod. Trying her best to curb her thick accent, she'd speak "Your eyes seem to hold eh' deep sadness, dear. What troubles you?"

She appeared concerned for the stranger, her gaze soft as she'd wipe away a few of her own tears. Rose thought the woman was quite beautiful for her age.

"Waiting.. always waiting..." she said and took another long drag from her dainty cigarette.

She shift her weight to the other leg before raising her other to a rung on the railing.

"I suppose that is just our lot in life as women? They go off in order to do what pleases them while we stay here holding the candle for them? I can tell by the look in your eye dear that the only reason you'd be in New England's elements at this time of the year is for a man." She say with slight anger trembling in her voice.

A sudden cold blast of frigid hair causes the woman to raise her trembling fingers to the corners of her furred hood, and pull her garment closer to her nearly frost bitten face.

The waves would crash loudly as the women braved the oncoming storm.

A visage of pain and hatred would creep into woman's face as she trembled in the cold.

Rose would look out over the vast ocean as the woman spoke, smelling the smoke of her cigarette.

Despite the winter, her deeply tanned skin and exotic features seemed to have given her away to the woman. She was used to living in much warmer climates and sandstorms rather than snow, but upon meeting Dexter in her travels her, truly made her finally cast out her anchor. She'd look to the woman, giving a nod, "Yes, but perhaps zey' leave so zet' they be allowed to miss us more. And, yes. Dis' is one ov' the few vinters' I have ever seen in my lifetime, but eet' is all for a man. And quite the catch he is." A small smile would find her lips.

As the wind seemed to worsen, she'd look to the woman, "Come, let us head to a diner end' take the chill off our bones over a coffee. My treat."

The woman chuckled softly. So quiet that it was almost unheard over the blustery wind.

"A tempting offer, but I must return home to see to my children now. I just came to offer Bradly a sweet. He isn't really coming home, but sometimes I like to come out here and pretend. To remember and to love him and hate him all at once."

"The Atlantic swallowed him whole as he returned from the great war you see..." She says finishing her cigarette and flicking it over the railing. She pulls out a wax-paper wrapped toffee and sends it hurtling after her spent smoke.

"I hope he comes home to you soon, young lady. Perhaps fate will be less cruel to you than it was to me." She says before her clicking heels carry her back towards her car.