“If you want to achieve that dream so badly, you will.”
---
~ Elizabeth ~
“We’re leaving tomorrow…” Mom whispered that evening as we sat side by side on the beach, the salty breeze brushing our faces. 
The same beach I had assumed Mom and I would spend countless hours on—but instead, Patrick and I had. Not that I regret it, anyway.
“Yeah…” I leaned back, resting my head on her waiting shoulder.
“I bought the tickets on a whim, not expecting the adventures that followed,” she chuckled, her voice carrying a soft longing.
“I enjoyed it here…” I said, eyes fixed on the vast sea ahead. So peaceful and calm at this hour. “I enjoyed getting to know Luke and his Tigers, too.”
What I didn’t dare say out loud was how much I also enjoyed getting to know a different side of Patrick—a side I hadn’t imagined existed.
“Luke’s great, isn’t he?” she asked, smiling wide like a fangirl.
“He is,” I replied, thinking back to our conversation at the lake the other day. Luke had told me to go after what I wanted… I did, but now I couldn’t help wondering if it was really good advice.
“He’s never been married, you know.”
“Really?”
I was more surprised than I thought I would be. Had I gotten so used to hearing about divorces that someone unmarried in their thirties now seemed strange?
“Yup. He was engaged once though… to a New Yorker, who gave him two options: give up his dreams and move to New York with her, or lose her.”
“And he chose the latter,” I said, smiling.
Still, I couldn’t help wondering what might’ve happened if he had moved to New York with her. Would he and Mom have ever crossed paths? Probably not. Luke didn’t seem like the kind of man who’d use dating apps while engaged to someone else.
“Yeah… you know love isn’t always convenient, Beth…”
“You wanna tell me more about how you fell in love with Luke online?” I teased, watching as she blushed.
“Well, well… no one ever ruled that a crime, have they?”
“It might not be, but it should be,” I said, grinning. “I mean, what if it’s actually a robot on the other end and not a real human?”
“Well… that’s our problem, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, yeah… it is, okay?” We both laughed again.
“You like him, right?”
I nodded. “But why don’t you just go ahead and ask if I’d love him as a dad?”
Her face turned several shades of pink. She really didn’t think I’d figured it out already? That even though they seemed like they’d just met, they were clearly trying to make this thing long-term?
“And you’re okay with that…?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Of course I am.”
Her eyes widened with surprise, but I decided to burst her bubble before she got too excited. Which—let’s be honest—probably wasn’t healthy for either of us.
“But you can’t get married next month, okay? You still have to figure out if you’re really compatible.”
“You’re right…” she sighed, and I could tell instantly that she’d thought long and hard about this. As I’d expect from my mom.
My mind swirled with a hundred and one questions, but I stayed quiet, choosing instead to just hold her hand and soak in the magic of our last evening in Miami.
A trip I never thought I’d enjoy so much—one I now felt sad to leave.
“I wish we could stay here forever…” she said, and I could hear something deeper beneath her words, a longing I didn’t dare poke into—not tonight.
“Same here.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, letting myself get lost in the peace of the moment.
---
I was about heading to bed when I got a text from Patrick.
: Hey, how are you?
“I’m good. You?” I replied as quickly as I could.
: Exhausted. Currently at the airport, waiting for my flight.
I sighed, wondering again why he’d chosen a midnight flight instead of just booking one for the morning.
“You could sleep on the plane,” I replied, even though that wasn’t really what I’d intended to say. How could I ask his reason for leaving so late without sounding nosy?
: Nah… I booked the economy class. No need to waste extra money.
I nodded—though he couldn’t see me. His reply felt… odd.
His dad was a billionaire, yet he saw business class or first class as a waste of money?
“Okay. Have a safe trip, Pat.”
: Sure. So we’ll see in thirty-six hours?
“Sure.”
I could almost picture it—his hug, his hand in mine as we walked through the hallways together.
The students would be shocked. But not Queen Bee.
Sarah would probably wear a permanent scowl.
And Evelyn? I wasn’t so sure. But she’d definitely be surprised. No doubt.
---
The flight home was in first class, just as I’d expected.
But despite how comfortable the seat was, I couldn’t sleep. My head was buzzing with too many thoughts.
Mom, of course, was fast asleep beside me… and somehow, it felt like our roles had reversed.
She came on this trip to finally meet her new-found love. And not only did she meet him, but also his Tigers. She got to know his personality, and saw him for who he was.
Meanwhile, I—who had just tagged along—ended up finding something interesting in someone I never expected.
My bully.
Someone who turned out to be… different.
Someone who made me feel things I wasn’t ready for.
And now?
I stared at Evie’s message for what felt like the hundredth time.
: See you tomorrow?
The trip had been short, yet it felt like a whole lifetime had passed between us. Everything felt so different now, and I couldn’t help but wonder…
Would everything go back to normal?
Or would it all change?
I turned to look out the window, watching the sea below… still, calm, peaceful.
I wished I could be like that—just sometimes.
But I wasn’t.
---
Hours later,
“Dear passengers, we’ll be landing shortly. Please fasten your seatbelts…”
I watched as Mom and everyone else began to stir awake and buckle up.
And as the plane touched down at LA, I had only one thought in my mind:
Why does it feel like my life is about to take a huge turn?
END OF VOLUME ONE
---
A/N: Hey guysss!
Thank you so much for staying with me till this point.
See you in the next volume!
Love you❤️.