Epilogue: The Sun Will Rise

Hannah

The sunrise is absolutely beautiful here. I stare out over the oceanfront balcony, listening to the water rhythmically lap at the shore as beach-loving birds squawk overhead. Tourists are already strolling the beach, searching for seashells and other souvenirs to take back to wherever they call home.

“You’re up early,” Caleb says, walking across the tiled floor toward me. He wraps his arms around me from behind, pressing his bare chest against me and kissing below my ear. “Something on your mind, Mrs. McNamara?”

“Just thinking about going back to the grind in a few days. The escape has been nice.”

Our last-minute Bahamian honeymoon adventure was only possible because my dad got us on his flight and set us up in a villa owned by a friend of his, but we’ve made the most out of every minute.

“Let’s not worry about normal life just yet. We still have two full days left to enjoy paradise.” He leans down and kisses me in the same spot again.

I spin in his arms, coming to face him and running my nails across his torso. “But in Canada, you have to wear layers and layers of clothes all the time.”

He growls, tightening his arms around me, pulling us flush, and capturing my lips with his. Each time I kiss Caleb, I get a rush of butterflies that I never want to stop. We get lost in each other until we’re breathless and need to pull away for oxygen.

I take a greedy breath of salty ocean air, studying Caleb’s features. “Something on your mind, Mr. McNamara?” I repeat.

“You have a point about all the layers. I could get used to you in a bikini every day.”

He leans in to kiss me again, cradling the back of my neck in one hand and adjusting my lips for easy access. The smile on his face as he breaks away floods me with happiness I never thought I’d find.

“Let’s get dressed and grab breakfast. We have to make the most of our time left.”

The sadness that chases away my surge of happiness catches me by surprise. Normal life holds a lot less appeal after five days in paradise with my husband.

We get ourselves ready to head out for breakfast and experience a few more adventures before we have to return to the cold weather and our gruelling work schedules. At least we still work together, so we see each other often. Plus, the heat and decor of Hibiscus’ kitchen almost feels tropical.

Caleb leads me down a cobblestone street, trying to find somewhere to grab a bite to eat. The storefronts and restaurants are so colourful and adorable, everywhere you look is like a postcard. On top of their unique style, the crystal blue sky framing each building makes for breathtaking views in every direction. I’m busy taking it all in when Caleb stops abruptly.

“Look.”

I glance up, squinting against the sun, and spot the distillery that makes the rum my dad loves. The same rum I still owe him a bottle of from more than six months ago. But when I follow Caleb’s pointer finger, I see a “for sale” sign in front of what looks to be a bed-and-breakfast. “Do you think they serve food to people walking by?”

“Not for breakfast. For us. To buy.”

“Since when do you want to buy a bed-and-breakfast?”

“I didn’t until I saw it. But picture this,” he says, grabbing both of my hands and turning me to face him. “Us, living together in paradise, running a small kitchen, still getting to create what we love, but also having time for ourselves. For our thirteen kids and five dogs. We’d get to see people enjoying our food instead of just cranking out one dish after another, never seeing our hard work pay off.”

“Caleb, we agreed on two kids and no more dogs.” I chuckle because the excitement on his face is adorable. “But we can’t just give up everything and move halfway around the world.”

“First, we’re a four-hour flight from home, and your dad flies here almost every week. Second, what are we giving up? Long work days, snow, and barely seeing each other outside of the restaurant? Our friends and family can come visit whenever they want, and you know Akili hates the snow. We can hire staff for housekeeping and give back to the people here.” His words are picking up speed the more he presents me with his spontaneous list of pros.

“What about Sophie? She’ll be heartbroken if you leave again. Or Oscar? He’ll miss beating you up during training. Or your grandparents? And your mom? You’ve just reconciled.”

“Sophie will understand. She’ll be thrilled to come visit here, just like France. Oscar has other trainees to punish. We can go home to visit my grandparents, or they can come visit with Sophie. They’d love that. And I can still have a relationship with my mom from here.”

Even thinking about moving away from Angel and Vida makes me sad. But the truth is, they’re both busy with their own lives, and with our work schedules, we see each other less and less as the weeks pass. Moving somewhere that people can come for a vacation could be a way to combat that. It would force a break for everyone we love.

“What about hurricanes? You’d rather hurricanes than snow?”

“We’ll get storm shutters and keep emergency supplies.”

I chuckle at how easily he dismisses that major possibility. “Just that easy, huh? We don’t even know if we can afford anything here. I don’t know what the real estate market is like, but I didn’t bring much of a nest egg into this marriage.”

“We’ll sell our place and have more than enough for a down payment. As long as we keep it up and running, it will cover our costs. Maybe this isn’t the right one for us, but we can look to see what options there are. Just tell me you’ll consider the possibility.”

He’s so excited by the idea, it’s hard to find any more points to argue with him. Can I walk away from everything? I was prepared to do that when I was searching for a job before. The only difference now is that I wouldn’t be going alone. I’d have the love of my life by my side. And with my dad nearing retirement age, my parents always talked about moving somewhere warmer, too.

“When we get home, we can look into it. See if it’s possible and what it will take. I’m on board if we can make it happen.”

Caleb smiles so wide, his eyes crease behind his sunglasses. “Let’s just look.” He pulls me toward the bed-and-breakfast he has his sights set on.

“Now? I’m in a bikini.” I’m wearing a thin cover-up, but it still feels weird to discuss a business transaction without pants.

“I know. Maybe they’ll give us a better deal.” He winks and leads me up the short pathway, past a sign that reads Oceanside Escape B&B.

We walk into the stunning yellow colonial building with a wraparound verandah and a red clay roof. The windows and doors are a vibrant white, but I notice the absence of any storm shutters. We enter the main door and absorb the interior. The gleaming, colourful tiles and well-lit entryway make the home feel welcoming.

An elderly woman with short grey hair appears, wearing a wide smile. “Good morning. Can I help you?” Judging by her accent, she’s not native to the Bahamas. Her tan, weathered skin suggests she’s been here for many years, though.

Caleb introduces us to the woman, who informs us her name is Cecily, then explains that we’re newlyweds looking for a place in the area… like this has been a lifelong goal and not a spur-of-the-moment decision. “We noticed the for sale sign out front and were just wondering if we could learn a little more about the place. But if now isn’t a good time…”

“No, no.” Cecily waves a hand for us to follow her. “Come in. The staff handle the daily duties around here. I’m just a pretty face who talks all the guests’ ears off.” She giggles as she leads us into the dining area where six couples appear to be enjoying breakfast.

Before we know it, we’ve taken a tour of the entire two-acre property that has its share of citrus, coconut, and banana trees, as well as an abundant vegetable garden. The bed-and-breakfast and staff accommodations are in the main building, but there’s a separate three-bedroom home next to it. There’s also a small chicken coop at the corner of the property where they collect fresh eggs each morning. It’s a self-sustaining homestead in the centre of paradise.

“This is a dream come true,” Caleb whispers. “A dream I didn’t know I had.”

I nod in agreement on both points. When we decided to take this trip, it was enough of a headache to arrange things at Hibiscus so we could both leave. It was a daunting task and a realization that our time off together would be minimal. Not just for now, but forever. As much as I love cooking, I want a family—a life—outside of a kitchen more.

Cecily explains the pros and cons of moving to the Bahamas, having come from Maine with her husband when they were merely thirty. She claims they had a very happy life until he passed away six months ago. Now she’d like to move back home to be closer to the rest of her family. My heart hurts for her hearing the sadness in her voice over the loss of her husband and leaving the place she’s called home for almost forty years. I can’t help but offer her a hug, which she kindly accepts.

“You two are meant for this place,” she declares, wiping her eyes. “So many people have come through these doors wearing suits, carrying clipboards, talking about the changes they can make to maximize profits. I turned them all down because Harold and I wanted to run a place with heart. Somewhere people could come and feel at home. We treat our guests like extended family, and I didn’t want everything we’d worked for to become another mass-produced tourist trap.”

Caleb and I look at each other, both nodding in acknowledgement of Cecily’s wishes.

A chicken clucks from the coop to my left, drawing my attention to the path leading to it. Each stone laid in the pathway has two handprints and is marked with a new year. But what tugs at my heart the most is the initials C & H etched into each one.

I follow the individual stones, counting thirty-nine in total. Finally, I reach the end, which isn’t quite all the way to the chicken coop. “I think you’re right,” I say to Cecily. Tears pool in my eyes when I imagine Caleb and I continuing this tradition, making our own mark on this slice of paradise, completing the path Cecily and Harold started decades earlier. Carrying on their legacy. “Caleb, I want to do this.”

He looks at Cecily, who is beaming, then turns his focus back to me. “Yeah? For real?”

“For real. I think we were meant to find this place, too. Just like we found each other again.”

He jogs the several steps to reach me, sweeping me into his arms. “You know this wouldn’t be paradise without you, right?”

“Does this mean you can cook topless every day?” I ask, giggling away my threatening tears.

“As long as I’m not cooking bacon.” He laughs, setting me down on the stone dated seven months earlier. “There’s nowhere in the world I’d ever want to go without you again. I love you, Hannah McNamara. I’ve always loved you, and there’s nothing I won’t do to make sure you know that every day.”

“I told you before, there’s nowhere I wouldn’t follow you. I love you, Caleb.”

And standing here, on top of a piece of concrete that marks the end of one love story, we mark the next step in ours.

The End

If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. I love hearing from my readers.

If you’d like to hear from me, sign up for my newsletter.