Chapter1
Felicity glanced around the classroom, checking to make sure she’d gotten everything off the walls. Her students’ desks were scooted to the center of the room with the chairs piled on top of them. Two boxes sat on her desk, filled with her personal items. No school-day chaos rang through the hallways. The students were gone for the summer, and the only sound in her classroom was the faint tick of the clock.
She picked up one box and settled it on her hip. Hard to believe a school year was wrapped up in just two boxes. Her summer break was the time when she could relax and rejuvenate. Her salvation from a long, hard year. Only this time, she didn’t think a summer was enough time to recover.
The air, normally thick with the scent of chalk dust and old textbooks, felt strangely sterile, a twin to the emptiness that had taken root inside of her. Each year, packing up her classroom usually brought a sense of relief, the promise of lazy days and time to recharge. This year, it felt more like closing the door on a chapter she wasn’t sure she wanted to revisit.
The weight of another year’s worth of expectations and unfulfilled potential pressed down on her, heavy and suffocating. The walls, usually plastered with colorful charts and student artwork, now stood bare, exposing drab beige paint beneath. Even the afternoon sunlight seemed to hesitate at the window, as if reluctant to peek in on the forlorn scene.
As Felicity turned to lift the second box, she caught a glimpse of a small, forgotten photograph tucked behind the corner of her desk. It was a picture of her very first class, their smiles wide and genuine, capturing a moment when teaching felt like magic. She gently plucked the photo from its hiding place, dusting off the edges. The faces stared back at her, reminding her of a time when every day brought new discoveries and her heart was full of hope. She remembered the vibrant energy of those early days, the laughter, the shared triumphs of discovering something new. The pure joy of learning.
The room felt empty, but not just of people—empty of the warmth and exuberance that once filled it. She placed the photo carefully in the box, a small memento of a time when teaching was a calling, not just a day-to-day job to get through.
Felicity glanced one last time around the classroom, her eyes lingering on the spaces where she’d taped up her students’ best work, the places that had once been filled with color and life. The room seemed to sigh with her as if bidding her a silent farewell. She turned off the lights, the switch clicking definitively under her fingers, and stepped out into the hallway. The door closed behind her with a finality she wasn’t quite ready to face.
With a deep breath, she adjusted the boxes in her arms and made her way down the familiar corridor. The echo of her footsteps seemed to resonate with the memories that clung to every corner of the school. Each step carried the weight of years spent molding young minds, the highs and lows of a career that had once defined her.
She pushed open the heavy doors leading outside, and the humid summer air wrapped around her. The scent of freshly cut grass and the distant laughter of children playing filled the air. The world outside the school was alive, teeming with the promise of a new season—and endless summer. She squinted against the bright sunlight, letting it warm her face as she walked to her car.
She loaded the boxes into the trunk, a feeling of finality settling over her. The school year was over, and with it, a chapter of her life seemed to be drawing to a close. She slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine, the familiar purr of her old sedan soothing her jangled nerves.
As she pulled out of the parking lot, the school building receded in her rearview mirror. Tomorrow she’d be at Gran’s place on Magnolia Key. An island that had always been her salvation. A place to rest and recharge. Only this time, she wasn’t sure a summer would be long enough.
Felicity stepped off the ferry, her sandals hitting the sun-warmed wood of the dock as the familiar scent of salt air and blooming magnolias embraced her. Instantly some of the tension in her shoulders eased. Magnolia Key always had that effect on her—like coming home to a warm hug.
She scanned the small crowd gathered near the ferry landing, searching for Gran’s familiar face. A smile tugged at her lips as she spotted her waving enthusiastically from beside her ancient station wagon.
“Felicity! Over here, sweetheart!” Gran called out, her voice carrying easily over the chatter of tourists and locals.
She waved back and made her way through the throng, pulling her wheeled suitcase behind her. As soon as she was within reach, Gran wrapped her in a tight hug that smelled of lavender and fresh-baked cookies.
“Oh, it’s so good to see you,” Gran said, holding Felicity at arm’s length to look her over. “You look tired, dear. Was the trip okay?”
She nodded, feeling a lump form in her throat at her grandmother’s concern. “The trip was fine, Gran. It’s just been a long year.”
Gran’s eyes softened with understanding. “Well, you’re here now. We’ll get you settled and rested in no time.” She patted Felicity’s shoulder affectionately before turning to open the car door.
As they drove through town, Felicity gazed out the window, drinking in the familiar sights. Not much had changed since her last visit—the same quaint storefronts lined Main Street, their awnings fluttering in the sea breeze. The old gazebo in the town square still stood proudly, its white paint gleaming in the afternoon sun.
Beverly, the owner of Coastal Coffee, was standing outside the cafe and waved to them as they approached. Gran slowed down, and Beverly poked her head in the window. “Felicity, glad to see you. Afternoon, Darlene. Felicity, your grandmother has been looking forward to your visit this summer.”
“Hi, Beverly. I’ve been looking forward to coming here too.”
“Make sure you stop by and have a meal or two at the cafe. We’ll catch up.”
“I’ll do that,” she assured Beverly.
“I can’t tell you how glad I am to have you here for the summer,” Gran said as she pulled away and navigated down the winding coastal road toward the bay. “The summer booking calendar is fuller than ever this year.”
She turned from the window. “I’m happy to help out however I can, Gran. That’s why I’m here.”
Gran glanced at her, a knowing look on her face. “Now, don’t you go worrying about work just yet. I want you to take some time to relax first. Heaven knows you need it after a year of wrangling all those kids.”
“But Gran, I?—”
“No buts,” Gran interrupted, her tone gentle but firm. “The B&B has been running just fine without you so far. A few more days won’t hurt. I want you to take at least a week to unwind before you even think about helping out.”
Felicity opened her mouth to protest, then thought better of it. She knew that look in her grandmother’s eyes. There was no point in arguing.
