I should’ve felt triumphant. I should’ve clicked “Reply” already.
Instead, my stomach twisted.
Because I’d thought of Jason.
Not work. Not status. Not even the money. Him. His voice. His laugh when I burned toast. The way he looked at me like I wasn’t just back, but here. Like I belonged.
But I wasn’t supposed to want to belong. That wasn’t the plan. Chrysanthemum Cove was supposed to be a stopover. A place to catch my breath, not plant roots. I had left for a reason. I had wanted more.
But now I found myself slowing down. Watching the tide roll in. Listening to the quiet of a small town that somehow made space for me, even when I didn’t ask for it. I knew where the creaky spots were in the diner floor. I knew how Jason took his coffee without thinking. I had a key to the back door.
Now, I sat on this lumpy twin bed, knees under a quilt I’d outgrown ten years ago, staring at a future I’d once begged for.
This job meant moving back. It meant late nights and rooftop bars and subway rides. It meant picking up where I left off. It meant proving I hadn’t failed.
But if I said yes, what would I be leaving behind?
The screen glowed. The lighthouse outside blinked. Slow. Steady. Like it was trying to answer for me.
I shut the laptop. My pulse jumped.
I stood and pulled on my hoodie.
The diner would be closing soon.
I needed to see Jason. To remind myself of what I stood to lose.
JASON
The streets outside had gone quiet. Lamplight pooled on the pavement. Chrysanthemum Cove folded in on itself at night. It always had. Doors shut. Windows dimmed. The town held its breath.
I wiped the counter in long passes. Coffee and fryer oil clung to the air and to my clothes.
The bell rang.
I looked up.
Emily.
“Hey,” I said. “Didn’t expect you back so soon.”
She walked up to the counter. “I wasn’t sure I was coming.”
I dropped the rag into the sink. It landed with a wet slap. “Everything okay?”
“I got an email.” She paused. “From an old co-worker in New York.”
My pulse jumped. I kept my face still. “Yeah?”
“She’s offering me a job. Branding for a new skincare line. Full-time. In the city.”
I nodded because nodding was easier than feeling it. “That’s big. Right?”
“It’s a good opportunity.” She hooked her fingers around the strap of her bag. “The kind I always wanted.”
I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms. The laminate felt cool through my shirt. “That’s incredible. You should be proud. You’re one of the best I’ve seen at what you do.”
The words came out right. Everything else didn’t. I felt my mouth shape a smile I didn’t believe in.
