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Tucking a windblown lock of hair behind her ear, she gave me a side-eye. “I have more faith in your seamanship now. Why don’t you take over? The swell is bigger out here.”
I nodded and took the wheel from her hands. “And for the record, you were the one who dared me to do the Eskimo roll.”
Stella shook her head in mock disapproval. “Only because I thought there was no way you’d actually try it.” Standing next to me, she bumped me with her shoulder, a familiar gesture that warmed me more than the sun overhead.
“Never underestimate what I’d do on a dare, especially when it comes from you.” I guided the boat with ease, my muscle memory aligning perfectly with the vessel’s response. The wind became a willing accomplice, carrying us forward like a whispered secret between old friends.
“Look at us now, huh?” Stella mused as she slipped her arm around my waist and rested her head against my shoulder. “From capsizing kayaks to sailing into the great unknown together.”
“Life has a way of coming full circle.” I glanced at her, catching a glimmer of something in her expression—a mixture of nostalgia and anticipation. And maybe something stronger lurking in her eyes.
Or was that just wishful thinking on my part?
I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. It felt right, like she’d always belonged there. We snuggled together comfortably, watching the horizon stretch out before us, the sea a canvas on which our day would unfold.
As we settled into silence, my mind tried to turn to those days after I’d left Florida, times I had no desire to relive. The contrast was so dramatic between how I’d felt about life then and what I was experiencing now. Even in Michigan, I’d always felt this was home. It took more than a decade, but at last I’d made it happen. I wondered if Stella’s thoughts were similar.
Then she turned and answered my unasked question, her expression sobering. “So how did you end up back in Dove Key?”
I took a deep breath. “After medical school, I joined a large internal medicine practice in Lansing. It was difficult, especially with family expectations.”
“Your parents?” Her voice was soft, understanding.
“Yeah.” I looked away, focusing on the horizon. “My mom had a hard time dealing with my divorce from Ainsley, and Dad… he had his heart set on me becoming a surgeon.” The words felt heavy, like anchors dragging behind me. “When I chose internal medicine, they tried to be supportive, but I could tell they were disappointed.”
“God, that’s harsh!” Stella’s brow furrowed, and her eyes flashed. “They should’ve been proud of you—internal medicine isn’t exactly a walk in the park. You realized your dream of becoming a doctor. Who cares what specialty you decided to go into?”
“Thanks.” I offered her a half-smile that probably didn’t reach my eyes. “It was pretty rough between me and them for a while. I’m glad we reconnected and cleared the air. Especially my dad—he’s not the most emotional guy. And when he finally apologized and said he was proud of me, it meant a lot. But I really wanted a change—location, mindset, everything. I needed a reset. So when I heard about Dr. Nelson retiring, I jumped at the opportunity.”
“I’m glad you did,” she said, her words as soft as the breeze.
“So am I.”
Leaning in, I caressed her lips with mine. As I returned my eyes forward, the conversation I’d had with my mother yesterday ran through my head. More gentle probing about how things were going with Stella, and I was pleased with how happy Mom sounded about us being together again. I even talked to my dad for several minutes about the upcoming football season. This move had been more than a rekindling between the woman I’d let get away and myself. It was also a bridge to repair my relationship with my parents.
The boat rocked gently beneath us, and I steadied myself with a hand on the wheel as our shoulders bumped. “I hated being estranged from them. Now, despite the distance, we get along better. Maybe it’s the miles between us that make the heart grow fonder, or just time doing its thing.”
“Distance has a way of putting things into perspective.”
“Exactly.” I glanced at her, then back at the sea, gathering the courage to say what had been weighing on me since she stepped aboard. “Us getting back together has meant a lot to me. I’ve missed you more than I let on.”
Her smile was a sunrise, slow and beautiful as it banished shadows. “I’ve missed you too.”
A weight lifted off my shoulders, one I hadn’t fully acknowledged carrying. The past couldn’t be rewritten. But under the vast dome overhead, with Stella by my side, maybe the future could be something different. Something better.
“Hey,” Stella said, nudging me playfully. “No more of that brooding sailor look, okay? We’re on the water, and it’s a perfect day. Embrace the adventure, Captain.”
“Affirmative, Admiral Markham.” I laughed, the last of the seriousness ebbing away. Our laughter mingled with the sound of the waves. And just like that, we were back to where we started—just Aiden and Stella, two souls adrift, and yet finding their way back to each other.
Stella reached out to stroke the back of my hand. “It means a lot to me. Your being so open about everything. It’s not easy, I know.”
I glanced at her, catching the sincerity in her eyes. That other thing flickered through them again, but this time I couldn’t deny what it was. Hesitation. My heart hitched as I sensed the conflict within her. But I just smiled, because that’s what you do when you want to believe everything’s fine. I might be doing everything I could to convince her this time would be different, but I hadn’t finished the job yet.
I reached out to smooth her hair. “We can’t get past what happened without reliving it, at least to some extent. You deserve the truth. You deserve so much more.”
As we neared a small, nameless key, I pointed out the vibrant reef below the clear, warm water. “This is it.”
Stella leaned over the side, peering into the depths. “It’s so clear,” she exclaimed, her face awash with wonder. Then, with a playful glint in her eye, she turned to me. “You keep two sets of gear on board, huh? Isn’t that perhaps a little presumptuous?”
