Chapter 10

Lost in thought, I examined the swimsuit I was wearing. Did I really want to wear this? I glanced again at the trendy swimsuit atop my suitcase. My heart quickened; it was telling me yes. I changed clothes, slipping into the swimsuit I truly liked. An unprecedented sense of relaxation washed over me.

My daughter and I walked hand in hand along the beach. Occasionally, little girls would compliment my attire. My initial shyness gradually faded into calm acceptance. When we reached a swing, my daughter climbed aboard and gently swayed. My phone rang; it was my mother. I exhaled. What was meant to happen, would.

After answering, my mother immediately questioned whether I intended to divorce Joaquin, reporting that he had complained to her. I answered yes. A few seconds of silence hung in the air, followed by my mother's excited cry.

“That’s great! You’re finally divorced! I never had high hopes for him, and I only agreed to the marriage because of your father.”

I smiled bitterly. The blame truly rested with me, not my father. Mom told me to enjoy myself and come home; she and Dad would prepare everything. Choking back tears, I responded and hung up.

I wiped my face. A large hand offered me a tissue. I looked up in surprise to see a young boy. He wore sunglasses, but his smile was captivating. I accepted the tissue with thanks.

My daughter chirped, “Mom, he kept pushing me on the swing. Please buy him an ice cream.”

The boy raised his eyebrows and ruffled Lia’s hair. “No need. I’m a big boy.”

Remembering Lia’s lessons, I chuckled, “Who says older children can’t eat ice cream?”

He looked astonished, sheepishly scratching his head. I ended up buying ice cream for the three of us. We sat on the beach, leisurely enjoying our treats. Lia insisted on taking a photo and posting it to her small circle of friends.

The boy’s name was Dariel Stevens. A sophomore, he was also vacationing there. I sighed. Oh, so young.

Dariel nodded, unassumingly. “Yes, I was quite young, hahaha, but also very reckless.”

His frankness surprised me. Dariel smiled. “Twenty has its troubles, thirty its beauty; both are fine.”

I smiled. My daughter watched eagerly; Dariel was handsome, and she was clearly smitten.

After five days of fun, Dariel and I said goodbye. I returned home with my daughter. For five days, I’d ignored Joaquin’s calls—nearly a hundred, I estimated. Ironically, I, once so annoyed by incessant calls, had become the one ignoring them.

As I opened the front door, a wave of smoke choked us. My daughter and I coughed violently. At the sound, the figure lying in bed like a corpse suddenly sprang up. He rushed over, seizing me in a hug.