Rhys
The boat slowed to a gentle drift as we reached the hidden cove, the engine fading into a soft murmur that blended with the rhythmic hush of waves against the hull.
From the deck, I could already see the lanterns glowing in a perfect, luminous circle around a large cream-colored blanket strewn with plush cushions and thousands of scarlet rose petals.
Palm trees stood like silent, graceful sentinels framing the intimate scene, their fronds swaying softly in the warm island breeze as if nature itself had been paid to perform for this exact moment.
The sky had deepened into an inky velvet blackness by the time we arrived at the secluded far side of the island, and the stars were beginning to prick through the darkness like scattered diamonds.
The captain helped us ashore with a knowing smile, steadying the small wooden boat against the gentle surf.
