Chapter 23
A year later, a plane touched down in Jormoose City,
A lean woman with short hair and tanned skin walked out of the terminal. There was a lift in her step and a bright steadiness in her eyes.
It was Maya. Her one-year contract with Doctors Without Borders had finished, and she was home.
A short distance behind, Cole and Carter emerged as well.
They looked different than they had a year ago. After seeing so much life and death and serving something bigger than themselves, they had found a kind of direction.
What hadn’t changed was the way they felt about Maya.
For a whole year, she had treated them like strangers, cooler than she was with coworkers. Yet, the more they watched her, the more they respected her, and the deeper they fell.
All through that year, the Hale family urged them over and over to return home, but they still insisted on
staying by her side, holding on to a hopeless love.
Maya checked into a hotel first, then went straight to Belinda’s grave.
She brought flowers, a small bottle of wine, and a spread of Belinda’s favorite snacks. She stood before
the headstone and poured out all she had been through over the past year.
“Grandma, I finally did the thing I always wanted to do. I’m doing well, and I’m content. I have the courage
to face whatever comes.
“I finally understand what you meant when you said that all hardships pass. I’m going to be happy. You
can rest easy.”
She stayed until dusk, then took a cab back to the hotel.
The next morning, Maya followed an address Kevin had given her and found his fiancee, Megan.
Megan taught elementary school. She had a round, friendly face and a warm smile that seemed to ease
the weight off anyone she met.
When Maya mentioned Kevin, Megan froze, and tears welled in her eyes.
She wasn’t surprised he hadn’t made it, since he’d been out of contact for a year. But when she saw the ring, tears still fell.
She wiped her tears away, her hands trembling as she took the ring.
“When he said he was joining Doctors Without Borders, I fought him on it. We had a big fight and I broke it off. After that, he never called again. I didn’t know he’d already bought a ring.”
She slid it onto her ring finger, grief filling her gaze.
Maya pressed her lips together. “I’m sorry.”
Megan managed a small smile and eased the ring back off.
“I always knew this was the most likely ending. Thank you for bringing this home. Now, I can stop waiting. I’ll go to the blind dates my family keeps setting up.”
She turned and walked back into the school. From the back, her shoulders carried a weight that spoke of sorrow and lasting loneliness.
Only when Megan disappeared from view did Maya leave.
She headed to the hospital next.
When Quinn saw Maya, relief and pride softened her face and brought tears to her eyes.
She patted Maya’s shoulder. “It’s good that you’re back. We’ve been waiting for you. Take one week off,
then come back to work.”
When Maya stepped out of the office, she was met by the entire team waiting at the doorway, their smiles bright with warmth.
Her closest friends, eyes red with emotion, threw their arms around her in fierce hugs.
“Maya, we worried ourselves sick!”
Warmth stirred in her chest, and she answered with a sincere, unguarded smile.
She swung by the hotel for her luggage and then returned to her place. It was a small apartment with two
bedrooms, where Belinda had lived for decades.
She dropped her bags in her room and started a deep clean that carried her straight into the evening.
Then, she drove to the supermarket to stock up.
The cupboards were bare, so she filled a cart to overflowing. She piled the bags in her arms until she could barely see over them and shuffled toward the entrance.
She was two steps from the door when a little kid shot out of nowhere and slammed into her.
The groceries fell to the ground, and Maya lost her balance, falling toward the concrete.
