She smiled—really smiled this time—before turning serious again.
You can do this.
When she submerged again, she focused on her breathing. Slow. Controlled. She pushed the memory away, replacing it with others—dives with Sofia, the beauty of the underwater world, the freedom, the silence she used to love.
For a few seconds, it worked.
Then the memory crept back in, sharp at the edges.
She resurfaced again.
“One step at a time, cariad,” he murmured, pressing a kiss into her damp hair.
Alejandra nodded.
She leaned her head back, letting the sun warm her face, letting the salt dry on her skin.
She could do this. Not today, maybe not tomorrow—but she would.
With time. With patience. But that was the problem. She had never been patient.
51
ALEJANDRA
Serenamente - Bresh
Callum was chattingwith his mother and his grandfather in the kitchen, and she felt like she owed him the space to just be with them. Not because she thought she was bothering anyone, but because she understood that feeling of homesickness.
She used the excuse—which wasn’t really an excuse—to step outside and call Sofia. Her best friend had just sent a picture of her four-months old belly, and Alejandra needed to confess, at least to her, what had really been going on in her mind. More than what she’d already admitted a couple of months ago.
Sofia answered quickly.
“Hello! How come I see an Instagram story of you in Wales? Who are you there with?”
“Callum,” Alejandra answered, a big smile spreading across her face as she looked out at the ocean.
She had made it. Barely. But she had sunk into the ocean a bit that day. Testing the waters. Trying to see if she could go back to being herself. The road seemed pretty steep, but somehow, it didn’t feel as impossible as it felt in the past days. Therapy and that paddleboard session with Callum had somehow helped her stop with her self-pitying moment. Seated on a bench, staring at the expanse that had always comforted her, and still did. She felt calm, wrapped in a blanket against the cool wind of a Welsh evening, because even though she was extremely scared of it, she wanted to try.
“Care to update your best friend?” Sofia’s tone was rightfully annoyed.
“Yes. Sorry about that,” Alejandra sighed. “I just… I needed time to process things after I took off the sling.”
“I’m here.”
Another long breath.
“After I took it off, the doctor suggested I go to therapy since I told her I wasn’t sure I could go back to surfing. Not because of the injury, but because… I’m scared, Sofi. I—I drowned,” saying it out loud made her voice shake again. “I managed to save myself, but it wasn’t easy, and I still have nightmares—”
“Breathe, Ale.”
She did. Deep, slow breaths.
“The therapist was in London. And after Ericeira, Callum and I had broken the no contact rule, and he said if I needed to go, see him, get support, whatever, I could.”
“So, you went?” Sofia asked, voice full of mischief.
“I went.” Alejandra chuckled. “And he’s been really good to me. I’m happy when I’m with him.”
