Epilogue

EPILOGUE

DANICA

One Year Later

The rock felt cool and coarse under Danica's feet as she crouched, peering into the tide pool. She gasped, leaning closer to peer at the cobalt blue sea star stuck to the bottom of the pool, its five long legs shimmering in the sunlight streaming through the shallow water. Pulling out her camera, she hunched, trying to shield the starfish from the sun to get a good photo.

"Find anything good?" Pete called out from nearby.

"I finally found a giant sea star!" Danica exclaimed, giddy with her success. She peered through the camera's viewfinder, watching in awe as the bright blue creature shifted against the rock, crawling deeper into the pool away from the excited paparazzi action.

Pete cheered, and Danica turned, looking to spot Pete standing in the shallow water, a surfboard hooked under her arm. Her dark wet curls stuck to her forehead and cheeks, and her wide grin made Danica's chest ache.

"One last wave before we grab dinner?" Pete asked, shielding her eyes as she looked back at the water of Dreamland Beach. The low tide today was around 4 p.m., and Danica had been climbing around the tide pools for nearly a half hour, exclaiming about snails and crabs. All afternoon she'd felt light and relaxed and so, so happy.

"Let's stay for the sunset." Danica turned back to the tide pool, on a hunt for her dream tide pool creature, a brightly-colored sea slug.

"If you insist," Pete teased, wading carefully through the shallows.

This last-minute trip to Bali was a whirlwind of spontaneous decisions and quickly booked flights. Over the last year, Izzy had shouldered most of the travel for Pete's non-profit, but Pete, with a particular fondness for Bali, insisted on taking that trip herself. When she’d suggested they take an extra few days for a vacation, Danica had swapped shifts with another doctor for six days off in a row. She’d even allowed Pete to use miles to upgrade her seat to first class — after all, they were celebrating.

So much had changed in the past year. Pete had moved to Denver, and they'd lasted nearly six months in separate condos before deciding to move in together. Today marked one year exactly from the day that Danica had taken a chance on their future. She'd hopped a flight to Costa Rica with Pete where they'd split their time between the hotel bed, exploring the rainforest, and lounging on the beach. Pete had even tried to teach Danica how to surf during that trip, but it would take a lot more practice before she felt confident enough to try out the waves at a place like Dreamland Beach.

Danica was grateful every day that they’d decided that trying again was worth the risk. Worth the mistakes and hurt and struggle. And in the end, they had found a lot to compromise on — Pete had suggested they take it one day at a time, figure everything out as they went.

Reality had far surpassed anything Danica had ever dared to imagine — having Pete by her side felt like a dream she wasn’t sure she deserved, but couldn’t ever imagine living without. Pete was everything she hadn’t known she needed: fiercely supportive, effortlessly spontaneous, and somehow always in tune with her, reading her moods like they shared the same heart. Some days, Danica caught herself simply staring, overwhelmed by how effortlessly they fit, as though every piece of her had been made to align perfectly with Pete’s, and she marveled at how they worked —how it felt like coming home every time they were together.

The turquoise blue waters of the Indian Ocean were particularly stunning today, and Pete had been ecstatic about the conditions all afternoon. Pete's joy was contagious, and Danica's cheeks hurt from smiling.

Danica made her way from the rocky ledge of the tide pools back toward the cave where they'd set up in the shade. Dreamland Beach was tucked into a sequestered alcove of steep rocky cliffs, brown and sun-bleached giants that made the coastline feel like its own little world. Small caves hollowed out the cliff faces, and though there were umbrellas for rent, Danica much preferred the cool seclusion. She sat down on her towel, squinting into the sun to watch as Pete dropped into a wave. Though Danica was far enough away that she couldn't make out details, she could picture the strong muscles of Pete's legs as she carved her way across the wave, the concentrated furrow in her brow as she flew across the water.

Danica wondered briefly if the next college friends’ trip should be to Bali, or at least somewhere tropical. Skiing was fun, but did anything compare to a lounge-on-the-beach vacation? She could almost picture Izzy and Pete surfing, Kiera and Maggie getting a massage as they lounged by the water, the entire group drinking cocktails in the pool of the overlooking resort.

Pete bailed from the wave, leaping into the water, and Danica waited for her to surface before she relaxed again, leaning back onto her elbows. She watched as Pete carried her board back over to where Danica lay. Pete sat beside her a few minutes later, shaking water from her hair like a shaggy wet dog.

Danica laughed, attempting to protect herself from the water, but Pete playfully held her down on the towel by grabbing her wrists.

"Did you see my wave?" Pete asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

"You were flying." Danica beamed with pride and elation, the same happiness that was mirrored on Pete’s face.

Pete leaned down to take Danica's mouth in a gentle kiss. "I love you. I love being here with you, sharing this."

"I love you, too," Danica said, lifting her head slightly to kiss Pete once more.

Pete sat down beside her and grabbed her phone. "I miss Gladys. Do you think she's doing okay?" She watched as Pete swiped open her phone and began to scroll through photos of their newly adopted pittie mix, an older, fawn-colored, adorably dumb sweetheart of a dog. Pete paused on a photo of Gladys smiling up at the camera, her eyes squeezed shut, a Lamb Chop toy held tightly in her mouth. The photo was blurry, like most photos of Gladys tended to be, since she never stopped wiggling with happiness.

"I'm sure Gladys is being spoiled rotten by Aunt Lillian," Danica said, leaning her cheek on Pete's shoulder.

"It's our first time away from her, though. She knows we'll come back, right?" Pete asked, and Danica lifted her face to look up at Pete, her entire body flooding with adoration.

"I bet she has eaten so many treats that she’s hardly even noticed we're gone," Danica assured her, kissing the bare skin of Pete's shoulder.

Pete sighed, closing her phone and tossing it back towards their backpack and scooter helmets.

The world seemed to slow as the sun lowered toward the horizon. The sky shifted into a canvas of warm, golden hues, bathing their skin in an amber glow. The colors intensified as the sun sank lower, painting the sky in purple and orange spreading along the horizon, bright clouds soaking up the color. The soft breeze smelled like saltwater and wet earth, the shouts of the surfers quieting as the beach slowly emptied. The reflection of the sunset in the water looked like molten gold, darkening into inky blue as the sun sank below the horizon.

In the twilight before the stars began to reveal themselves, Danica closed her eyes, wanting to memorize this moment to keep it forever. "I feel so happy I could just float away," she whispered.

"Don't worry, I've got you." Pete rested a hand on Danica's knee. Pete's skin, warm from the sun, contrasted with her own, which was growing cool in the evening air. Pete's touch was a tether, her presence a reminder of all the bliss they'd shared together so far.

Danica felt the promise of a future unfolding — endless, uncharted, and waiting for them to claim it, together.