Tu Es Mon Monde – The French Love Phrase To Remember

It was our next to final night on the island, and I couldn’t believe it was almost over.  From the moment we arrived, everything had been absolutely perfect.  I didn’t even think I had one negative thing to say about this vacation.  The resort my boyfriend and I had chosen was breathtakingly gorgeous. The views from the balcony in our room overlooking the white sand beach were beautiful.  The place was simply paradise, and I had cherished every second of the last seven days here.

Spending time with Harry had been really special too. Both of us get swept up in our jobs so much, sometimes we hardly get to see each other.  This was a good way to hit the reset button and reconnect after spending so much time apart.  I thought by the end of the week, we might be sick of each other. But it turned out to be the complete opposite! 

Most of the staff spoke French at the resort, and Harry had picked up a few phrases as the week went by. Every morning, he would roll over in bed and tell me “Tu es mon monde.” You are my world. It was definitely enough to make a woman like me melt into his arms again and again. 

Tonight we were having dinner at a little cafe on the beach.  The food was superb, and the champagne was going straight to my head.  As the waiter came by to ask for dessert, Harry looked over at me and smiled, knowing exactly what I wanted.

“Une pièce de gâteau au chocolat. To share.”

The sun was just beginning to set over the horizon. Harry took my hand across the table and brought it to his lips.  

“Have you had a good time this week?” He asked.

“I’ve had the best time, are you kidding me?  Not having to worry about work or anything else…it’s been absolute heaven. And getting to spend time with you just makes it all the better.”

“I agree. I thought we might take a walk down the beach after dinner.  I overheard some of the staff talking about a hidden beach that only the locals know about. It’s off-limits to tourists, but I thought we might try to find it…it is our final night here and all. I thought you might be up to the challenge.”

I looked at him like he was crazy. “A hidden beach, in the dark? I’m not sure if that’s a great idea, Harry.”

“Come on. They said it’s even better at night. And it’s a full moon out tonight. It’s not far from here.”

“Well, it does sound intriguing.” I smiled. “Alright, I’ll accept your challenge. Let’s try finding it!”

The waiter brought over our chocolate cake. We ate quickly, then walked down to the sand.  I pulled off my heels and carried them in one hand while he did the same with his shoes, rolling up his pant legs. We took each other’s free hands and started our trek down the beach.  The sun was almost gone and the stars were starting to appear as we walked along.  A light breeze swept through the palm trees above, bending them this way and that.  Everything else was eerily silent other than the gentle crash of the waves on the shore.

We walked along the beach, talking and laughing and trying to point out constellations to each other. It started to get chilly, and Harry took off his jacket and put it around my shoulders.

“Do you think we’ll reach this beach soon? We’ve already walked pretty far down Harry.”

“Just trust me. I have a pretty good feeling we’ll be there before we know it.”  He put his arm around me and pulled me along with him in the surf so the waves could wash over our bare feet.  

It was almost completely dark now.  The moon had not fully risen yet, and it was hard to see much of anything around us. The jungle, which had looked so lush and green during the day, had turned into a thick, black forest with who knows what staring out at us.  

We continued down the walk when just up ahead I could make out a small fire burning in the sand.

“Harry, someone is here. Maybe we shouldn’t disturb them–”

“It’s all right, maybe we can ask them how to get to the hidden beach.”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me along as I tried to dig my heels in the sand. I had a strange feeling about this whole thing, and at this point, I just wanted to go back to the room.  

As we approach the fire, he pulls me forward and tells me to look down.  There’s a small piece of wood with a message written on it: Tu es mes etoiles.

“Harry? What is this? Did you put this here? What does it mean?”

“It means ‘You are my stars,’ and how could I have put it here? I’ve been with you all evening.

We walked past the fire only to see another little burning pit of flames with another message on wood lodged in the sand. Tu es ma lune.

“You are my moon,” Harry translated. “Let’s keep walking.”

The next fire we came to with a wooden sign next to it I could finally translate. 

“Tu es mon monde. Harry, how did you–” 

“Shh. Just follow me.” 

Beyond the sign, there was a small table with two glasses and a bottle of champagne.  Harry walked over and filled up the glasses, handing one to me.

“Tu es mon monde. I just want you to know that. No matter how busy we get, or if we don’t see each other as often as we like, you are my world.”

He clinked my glass with his and took a quick sip.  I did the same, then he took the glasses and put them back down on the table. 

“So this is the beach that’s off limits?” I ask him.

“Well, I did tell the staff to make sure no one came down here while we were here, so it is off limits in a way…to anyone but us.”

“And you planned all of this? The signs, the fires, and the champagne?”

He nodded. “All for you.”

A wide grin spread across my face as I threw myself into his arms.  “I never knew you could be so romantic.”

“Just wait and see.” And with those words, he captures my lips in a heart-stopping kiss.