I came to the island searching for peace, a fresh start to heal from my past. Instead, I found HIM—charming, attentive, and everything I didn’t know I needed. But just when I started to believe in new beginnings, a single moment shattered it all.
Even though I’d spent decades there, my living room felt like a stranger’s space.
At 55, I stared at the open suitcase, wondering how my life had come to this. “How did we get here?” I asked the chipped “Forever & Always” cup in my hand before tossing it aside.
I ran my hand along the couch. “Goodbye to Sunday coffee and pizza fights.”
Memories buzzed in my mind, unwelcome guests I couldn’t evict.
In the bedroom, the emptiness hit harder.
The other side of the bed stared back at me like an accusation. “Don’t look at me like that,” I muttered. “It wasn’t all my fault.”
Packing became a scavenger hunt for things that still mattered.
The laptop sat on my desk like a beacon.
“At least you stuck around,” I said, patting it. After two years of work, my novel was inside.
It wasn’t finished, but it was mine—proof I wasn’t entirely lost. Then, Lana’s email came:
“Creative retreat.
Warm island.
Fresh start. Wine.”
“Of course, wine,” I laughed. Lana had always been good at making disasters sound appealing.
The idea felt reckless, but wasn’t that the point?
I stared at the flight confirmation. My inner voice was relentless.
What if I hate it? Or if they hate me?
What if I fall into the ocean and get eaten by sharks?
But then another thought crept in. What if I enjoy it? I exhaled and closed the suitcase.
What happened next changed everything… FULL STORY on the next page.
TAP ” READ MORE ” 👇
