Nine months later
Karina sat in the sand beside Chelsea, helping the little girl build a sand castle. Her stepdaughter and the twins were visiting the cabin for the weekend. And not for the first time, either. The hot summer was still a few months away but the beach was beautiful all the time.
And with it being spring break, the twins were full of energy. Sandra much less so, but stretched out on a blanket beside Karina, she obviously wasn't suffering too much.
"I was afraid this week would be too hard on you, being pregnant and all," murmured Sandra. "Instead, I'm the one that's exhausted."
Karina laughed. "I'm fine. And I love having you here. I spent so much time alone in Vancouver with just my friends, Cat and Serena, that I'm happy to be surrounded all the time now." She sighed. "And after all that nasty Ian stuff, this is something I don't take for granted."
"I'm grateful Ian isn't competent to stand trial. Saves all of us lots of pain."
Now that was an understatement. But Karina was satisfied that part of her life was over. Maybe now Ian could get some help and find peace for the rest of his life. As long as he stayed away from Karina, she'd be happy.
"Are the girls still arriving on Friday night as planned? I'm looking forward to seeing them again."
"Yes, they are. Serena is even considering the idea of moving here. She says Vancouver just isn't the same without both Cat and I there. She's also thinking of opening a bookstore herself, preferably one that includes a built-in coffee shop. She's as much an addict as I am," Karina confessed.
"Oh that's perfect." Sandra lifted her head to look at Karina. "We should see if there's an appropriate space in our little mall."
"That's exactly what I told her." Karina laughed. "She'd fit in perfectly."
"And what about Cat?" Sandra sat up, looking for her boys and relaxed as she spotted them building a fort out of driftwood a short way down the beach. "Does she want to go into business, too?"
Karina smiled as she stared down at Chelsea's white-blonde curls. There was more sand on her scalp than hair at this point. "Cat is special. She's already got her own business. She's in computers. Very high-tech, hush-hush stuff."
"Sounds exciting." Sandra grinned. "I'm definitely looking forward to their visit."
Thinking back to all she'd gained since making the move to Victoria, Karina realized just how lucky she was. If her friends could find the same happiness, her world would be complete.
Only time would tell.