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“Look at you, all loved up and smitten!” Rachel teased.
We dissolved into girlish giggles, the kind only close friends can share. It felt good to connect over our new relationships.
Rachel took a breath before continuing. “So...Maya and I hoped we could attend your wedding together?”
“Of course!” I said without hesitation. “I can’t wait to meet the woman who captured your heart.”
Rachel let out a sigh of relief. “Oh good! I wasn’t sure, with it being a smaller wedding...”
“Nonsense. You’re my dearest friend; I want you there and to meet Maya, too. We’ll work it out.”
“You’re the best, Etta,” Rachel said, her voice warm with gratitude. “This means the world to me. To us.”
We chatted a while longer, discussing options for their visit. By the end of the call, my heart was whole. I was touched Racheltrusted me enough to share her new relationship. Her happiness was palpable, even through the phone.
After we hung up, I returned to my computer, my writer’s block gone. The conversation with Rachel had filled me with inspiration. My fingers flew across the keys as I wrote a scene where my protagonist reconnected with her long-lost friend. Rachel was right - sometimes, life provided the best stories.
***
I stood at the railing of the lighthouse walkway, Alexander’s arm around my waist, as we watched the sunset over the ocean horizon. The sky was awash in brilliant orange, pink, and purple hues, with the sun dipping lower, casting its golden glow across the water.
“It’s so beautiful here,” I sighed contently. “I can’t imagine a perfect place to end our story.”
Alexander smiled down at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Our story is only just beginning, my dear.”
I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder as we observed nature’s dazzling display. The lighthouse’s beams swept over us rhythmically, adding to the magical atmosphere.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked softly.
“How this all feels like a dream,” I replied. “Being back home, writing my novel, falling in love with you...I can hardly believe it’s real.”
He squeezed my hand reassuringly. “It’s real, my darling. Our love is as real as the ancient stones of this lighthouse.”
I smiled up at him, my heart swelling with emotion. We kissed as the fading light of dusk settled around us.
We would go about our usual routines tomorrow - him to the publishing house and me to my desk to write. But today,we lingered in this moment, letting the rhythm of the waves serenade us.
“Just one month until we’re husband and wife,” I mused dreamily, admiring my engagement ring, which glittered as it caught the sun’s rays.
As the last sliver of sun disappeared below the horizon, Alexander wrapped his arms around me, and we swayed gently to the distant lullaby of the sea. The beacon of the lighthouse swept over us in a loving benediction.
I had finally found my way home to this man and this place that nurtured my spirit. As I nestled against Alexander’s chest, listening to the steady rhythm within, I knew I had my happy ending.
But it was not an ending, but the beginning of the rest of our lives together.
