Chapter 19 - Salt Air and Soft Cake
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Eight months later, the morning sun broke over the Pacific coastline, casting a warm golden light across the rolling blue waves.
I stood on the wooden balcony of a modest, two-story beach house built high on the coastal cliffs.
It wasn't a sprawling mansion like the ones Derek had lusted after. It wasn't a statement of status or wealth.
It was just a quiet, beautiful home filled with light, soft ocean breezes, and the soothing sound of crashing tides.
And it was entirely, indisputably mine.
That afternoon, Lena drove up the winding coastal highway to visit for the weekend. She walked up the front steps carrying a small, brightly decorated cardboard box from a local bakery downtown.
She set the box on my kitchen counter and pulled out a tiny, six-inch vanilla cake covered in bright blue frosting.
We both stood there in the quiet kitchen, staring at the cake for a long moment.
Then, Lena looked up at me and flashed a wide, mischief-filled grin.
“Too soon?” she asked softly.
May you like
I burst out laughing—a deep, genuine, joyous laugh that echoed through the open windows and out toward the ocean. I laughed until tears of relief ran down my cheeks.
I picked up a small silver knife and cut two perfect slices.
