someone else never even crossed my mind, because what feeling could be stronger than a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love, right?
I was okay to be Katrina and not Sapphire because somehow I could be myself. But what if all this was a lie? A figment of my imagination as a way for me to cope with Damian's death?
All those thoughts rushed through my mind, and since sitting in the house was out of the question, I grabbed my car keys from the cupboard near the door and drove toward Atlantic Beach, which was thirty minutes away.
On the way, I bought a bottle of cold water, a sandwich, and a blanket. Once I reached my destination, I parked in the parking lot and removed my shoes. I wanted to enjoy the tingling, and slightly painful, massage from the hot sand on my feet. Choosing the right spot several feet away from the water, I spread the blanket and sat down, inhaling the fresh salty air.
I watched in amazement, admiring the beauty of the wide-open beach, blue-green waves pushing into the sand, huge rocks. The sounds of birds and a breeze. Digging the heels of my feet into the sand, I tried to understand myself. Since Damian had showed up, I displayed nothing but confusing emotions to him. God, was it just yesterday? But if my heart desperately protected itself, why couldn't my body do the same? Even now, remembering everything he did made me tremble and anticipate it more.
"I knew I'd find you here." A soft voice from behind surprised me, and my eyes widened as I turned my head to see Annie standing next to me with her own blanket. Her red locks flew all over her freckled face as the wind hit and she sat down, her green eyes focused on me. Annie always looked like a pixie, with her pointed nose and petite height.
"What are you doing here?" I asked. Didn't she have guests to attend to? In addition, I wasn't sure I needed company while deciding what to do with my complicated life.
"My best friend needs me. Moreover, I heard your conversation in the kitchen. Greg should really learn to stop keeping stuff from me, as I always find out the truth," she replied simply. I looked away, not wanting her to see doubt in my eyes. After hearing the earlier conversation between Greg and Damian, I didn't know what to think about their friendship. Although Greg said everything was genuine, after all those new discoveries, I was doubtful.
Annie must have felt my hesitation, because she placed her hand gently over mine and said softly, "I just wanted to help you back then. You were pregnant and alone. I couldn't imagine leaving your whole life behind and moving on from the loss of the man you loved. You seemed like you needed a friend." I slid my hand from under hers, pulled my knees up, wrapped my arms around them, and placed my cheek on top, facing Annie as our eyes held each other's.
Like paintings in a gallery, snippets of my years with her family flashed through my mind. Little gatherings, shopping trips, how they picked me up from the hospital when Kristina was born, and girls' nights out when Greg watched Kristina, which allowed me some time to forget the burden I carried. I couldn't remember my life in North Carolina without them; they became a part of my family. "Why then did you never ask me about Kristina's father? You just accepted my explanation and never pushed it."
She assumed the same position as me and sighed heavily. "Based on the little bit of information Greg gave me, I knew you were grieving. I wasn't sure I should bring it up, not when I saw the sorrow in your eyes." She paused and then said, "He is here now, though." And just like that, we came to the current problem.
"Yeah, he is." My voice was quiet and thoughtful. "Is he still there?"
Annie's mouth widened in a smile. "Yep, his eyes were glued to Kristina the whole time. Occasionally, he would glare at Jason to send daggers his way. Clearly, he doesn't appreciate the fact that she tries to win his attention so hard." A laugh escaped me, despite my heavy heart.
"He
I was okay to be Katrina and not Sapphire because somehow I could be myself. But what if all this was a lie? A figment of my imagination as a way for me to cope with Damian's death?
All those thoughts rushed through my mind, and since sitting in the house was out of the question, I grabbed my car keys from the cupboard near the door and drove toward Atlantic Beach, which was thirty minutes away.
On the way, I bought a bottle of cold water, a sandwich, and a blanket. Once I reached my destination, I parked in the parking lot and removed my shoes. I wanted to enjoy the tingling, and slightly painful, massage from the hot sand on my feet. Choosing the right spot several feet away from the water, I spread the blanket and sat down, inhaling the fresh salty air.
I watched in amazement, admiring the beauty of the wide-open beach, blue-green waves pushing into the sand, huge rocks. The sounds of birds and a breeze. Digging the heels of my feet into the sand, I tried to understand myself. Since Damian had showed up, I displayed nothing but confusing emotions to him. God, was it just yesterday? But if my heart desperately protected itself, why couldn't my body do the same? Even now, remembering everything he did made me tremble and anticipate it more.
"I knew I'd find you here." A soft voice from behind surprised me, and my eyes widened as I turned my head to see Annie standing next to me with her own blanket. Her red locks flew all over her freckled face as the wind hit and she sat down, her green eyes focused on me. Annie always looked like a pixie, with her pointed nose and petite height.
"What are you doing here?" I asked. Didn't she have guests to attend to? In addition, I wasn't sure I needed company while deciding what to do with my complicated life.
"My best friend needs me. Moreover, I heard your conversation in the kitchen. Greg should really learn to stop keeping stuff from me, as I always find out the truth," she replied simply. I looked away, not wanting her to see doubt in my eyes. After hearing the earlier conversation between Greg and Damian, I didn't know what to think about their friendship. Although Greg said everything was genuine, after all those new discoveries, I was doubtful.
Annie must have felt my hesitation, because she placed her hand gently over mine and said softly, "I just wanted to help you back then. You were pregnant and alone. I couldn't imagine leaving your whole life behind and moving on from the loss of the man you loved. You seemed like you needed a friend." I slid my hand from under hers, pulled my knees up, wrapped my arms around them, and placed my cheek on top, facing Annie as our eyes held each other's.
Like paintings in a gallery, snippets of my years with her family flashed through my mind. Little gatherings, shopping trips, how they picked me up from the hospital when Kristina was born, and girls' nights out when Greg watched Kristina, which allowed me some time to forget the burden I carried. I couldn't remember my life in North Carolina without them; they became a part of my family. "Why then did you never ask me about Kristina's father? You just accepted my explanation and never pushed it."
She assumed the same position as me and sighed heavily. "Based on the little bit of information Greg gave me, I knew you were grieving. I wasn't sure I should bring it up, not when I saw the sorrow in your eyes." She paused and then said, "He is here now, though." And just like that, we came to the current problem.
"Yeah, he is." My voice was quiet and thoughtful. "Is he still there?"
Annie's mouth widened in a smile. "Yep, his eyes were glued to Kristina the whole time. Occasionally, he would glare at Jason to send daggers his way. Clearly, he doesn't appreciate the fact that she tries to win his attention so hard." A laugh escaped me, despite my heavy heart.
"He
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