1. Florence

Chapter one

Florence

"Isn't it the most enchanting sight?" I ask my sister as she joins me by the water's edge. The listless waves of the Caribbean Sea lick at my feet while my gaze stays riveted on the most spectacular sunset I've seen in my life.

Salmon pink and lemon yellow tinge the sapphire-blue sky, casting a million sparkles across the ocean's surface and making my heart sing at the beauty.

"You want to thread paint it, don't you?" Dede asks, referring to my career as a landscape embroidery artist. She digs her toes into the sugary sand and slips her hand into mine.

I turn to Dede and squeeze her hand, grateful that I have a sister who understands me so well. We've always been close—Cece and Dede, Florence and Sadie, sugar and spice. We saved up all year for this weeklong summer vacation together and it has been the best bonding experience we've had to date.

"Absolutely. I want to take a picture, but also not. It won't do it justice. I keep thinking about which threads I'd have to layer to even remotely come close to capturing this. But it's captivating me."

Dede's bright blue eyes glisten with emotion and her voice is filled with sincerity. "You're such a talented artist, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Just like you did with that piece of the woman dancing in the forest. It's imprinted in my brain. Your best work yet." She rubs at her chest and lifts onto her toes. "I'm so proud of you. When I showed your website to Iris and Helena, I could literally feel my chest puffing up more with each piece they saw."

Iris and Helena are the loveliest women. We met them earlier this week at a beach bar and clicked right away. When my sister brought up my embroidery and started showing our new friends my work, my face grew so hot that my cheeks probably looked like two fresh cherries. But the way Dede spoke about me, the pride in her voice, it made my heart so full it'll be charged for months to come.

Iris organized their Caribbean vacation as a post-breakup trip for Helena, her best friend. She generously chartered a yacht for the night and invited me, Dede, and six other women to join them for a ladies' night.

Everyone has been so nice. We all met on the dock and sailed to this uninhabited island to enjoy a sunset picnic and some dancing before we'll head back to our hotels later tonight.

I preen under Dede's praise again and tuck a piece of my long hair behind my ear. Smiling broadly, I say, "That's my favorite embroidery piece I've ever done. The whole scene came to me in a vivid dream. I don't know if you noticed, but the woman dancing in the meadow looks similar to me." A blush heats my cheeks at admitting that aloud and I roll my lips between my teeth as I contemplate whether I should say more. Knowing my sister won't judge me, I decide to tell her what I've not told anyone else.

"I know the scene can't be real, but it felt real. Like it was in a past or future life. It was like I could feel the crisp fall air on my skin, even now as I recall the dream. I could smell the fresh forest air, the grass, the trees. Oh, the trees." My words drift off as the clear image from my dream replaces the ocean view in front of me. "There were shades of mustard, amber, rust, ginger, olive, brick red even…"

"Do you still have it?" Dede asks.

"I haven't had the heart to sell it yet," I admit sadly, knowing I need the income from such an intricate piece, but not being willing to part with a piece of my heart.

"Well, maybe you're meant to keep it," Dede says confidently. "I love what a great artist you are and how you've developed your craft, how you can paint with thread and bring a picture to life on fabric. I'm also proud of you for being a savvy small business owner, for turning your art into a living."

Before I accidentally start crying, I wrap my younger sister in a hug, careful not to accidentally ruffle a strand of her perfectly styled blonde hair. We pour all our emotions into the hug, saying so much more than we could with just words.

Before my emotions get the best of me, I step back and cup Dede's shoulders. "Sisters by blood."

She cups my shoulders back. "Friends by choice," she finishes our mantra with a brilliant smile.

Dede scrunches up her face and closes her eyes, sending a bolt of apprehension into me for what she wants to say next. "Soooo, not to ruin this beautiful moment, but you don't suppose an uninhabited island has facilities, do you? The champagne seems to have gone right through me. Do you maybe want to come with me, just through those trees?" She opens one eye to peer at me, probably knowing I'll do anything she asks and feeling guilty for stealing me away from this amazing view.

"Dede," I sigh out with so much love.

"We'll be quick." My sister pouts her raspberry-pink lips and makes the cutest puppy dog eyes that are impossible to say no to.

"Let's go." I smile at her antics. As if I won't give up this view to ensure my sister is safe as she wanders on a desert island. "I'd like to be back in time to catch the last remnants of the rays dancing on the surface, though," I add as a specific shade catches my eye. "I have an idea to highlight the water with this very thin gold thread…"

My physical body follows Dede deeper into the jungle, but mentally I am off creating the perfect palette to capture the sunset's reflection on the waves.

"Watch out for any lurking predators!" Natalie calls with a laugh from somewhere to our right. I hadn't even noticed Dede talking to the easygoing woman with the wicked sense of humor.

We met Natalie right before boarding the yacht. Dede loves clothes and says Natalie has a "goth-chic aesthetic," but I'm more fascinated by her pretty tattoos. I remember she said she's originally from Arizona and is now backpacking around the world without a final destination in mind. I can't imagine traveling constantly without a cozy place with all your handpicked knickknacks to call home. But she seems happy, so I'm happy for her.

Dede and I make our way deeper into the jungle, but I pause when something catches my eye. Fascinated, I bend down to study one of the bright blue flowers with a nearly bioluminescent glow. A bunch of them trail deeper into the forest, and something deep inside of me is calling me to find them all.

"Aren't they beautiful?" My voice comes out thick and I glance at Dede who has remained a wary step behind me. "It looks like they're growing in some kind of path. I've never seen anything like it."

"Should we call the others to come look?" Dede asks.

For the first time in I'm not quite sure how long, I feel a little selfish. I want to share these flowers with the eight other women on the island, but not quite yet. Something keeps me from extending an invitation to them right now and beckons me to keep walking.

"Let's venture a tad farther in, and then we can get the others. I have a feeling there's something even more special waiting up ahead for us."