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June 2020 en route to Coastal Luna
Alternate 2020
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“Ella? Come on we are almost there. Come on, wake up for me sweet star?”

“Mmm?”

With dried drool crusting her usually well taken care of olive skin, big thick glasses covering her big eyes and dark black-brown hair that was scrunched up and well knotted in a messy bun, 24 year old Estella Linares was looking like a grade-A beauty queen for sure. Wearing an older lavender hoodie, she got from her younger sister and dark grey sweatpants; many would assume she did not give a flying pancake about her appearance. Not everyone knows however is how hard she worked late last night into proposals for next year’s lesson plans for the honor students, so she deserved to rest. That's what she repeats anytme she sleeps past ten hours without excuse because hey we have all done it. Raising her head from the hard chair in her fiance’s 2011 white Chevrolet Malibu, she saw the familiar greyish blue water of the river crash into rocks near a small house on a peninsula. With an approaching curve up ahead, she knew where they were, They were 30 minutes from Coastal Luna, As the pair drove past the towns of Ventnor, Margate, and Longport, Ella was brushing her hair out and looking out the window of the car staring at the shops, cafes, and the long streets of the shore towns on Absecon Island. Smiling to herself seeing all these familiar sights a bomb of nostalgia just hit as Estella enjoyed the memories that came to her mind. All those days at ice cream shops, the beach, and the various shops, it was clear that this trip would be a good trip down memory lane, and a great introduction to Jonathan about some of her stories that have not been mentioned. Deep in thought, she failed to hear what her beloved fiance was saying,

“Ella? Estella? What are you thinking in that lovely head of yours?”

Feeling his tap against her head, Ella turned to her fiance only to smile brightly at him and say, “Nothing important just thinking about the memories I am going to make with you on this trip, like the ones from my past.”

Holding her hand while using his left to drive, he gently rubbed her knuckles before bringing it up to his face, with his full lips brushing against her soft skin gently, kissing her hand, as he smiled affectionately to his fiance, Estella returned his sweet kiss to his cheek. As her soft pinkish lips brushed against the male’s warm skin. Ella wondered how she got lucky with him.

A kind man, Jonathan Piazza is 6’2” of perfection. A tall, tan, handsome man, with deep-set of green eyes that has golden flecks scattered about, nice full head of brown hair, and a nice body if she did say so herself. He knew how to speak 10 different languages, and was a well-known engineer in a local start-up at Raliegh which designed bridges and structures around the world. He had unfortunately lost his parents long ago, but he never brings them up instead refering to Ella  and her family as his own famiglia. He would never let sadness plagued the atmosphere.

They met at college, at Duke and they seemed to hit it off since Jonathan used to always take any chance to talk with her. He was a sexy chaser for sure, so in no time Ella and him got into dating three weeks after they met, now they were engaged and preparing the next step. Marriage seemed daunting already but Ella was completely head over heels for this man.

Ella was now happy to show Jonathan more about her, in the form of Coastal Luna. Coastal Luna was a rarity as it was a town only accessible through three bridges that were a half a mile long and the land was about three miles long, it was small compared to other big towns but there was a lot to do on it so people never minded the size. Now they were on that very bridge to see the sights.

From Claire’s Espinosa’s bakery to Dolores and Ximena’s salon. Mr, Vuong’s Pho, to the primary school that was in desperate need of renovation, Estella was excited to show it all. Going onto the Delilah Road, the main road, Jonathan listened to the GPS, until stopping in front of a Mansion with the sign,

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