Smooth Sailing ☆ Jane The Virgin 》Rafael Solano

ONE

Rosalinda had just moved to Miami, Florida. She missed the beach, the sound of waves and the feeling of warm sand on her feet. Although she missed the rainy days of Seattle, she needed the change of pace. But she definitely couldn't move back to New York, her sister Beatrice had just gone to another stint in rehab and her father had become progressively more fed up as the years went on.

Beatrice was diagnosed to the moon with issues. Bipolar, narcissistic personality, severe anxiety and mood disorders. All the doctors and therapists in the world couldn't help her if she didn't comply with meds, and paired with her reckless behavior and severe drug use it was a recipe for disaster.

Ciara had called her every other week to give her updates on how everyone was doing. Rosalinda had refused to talk to her dad after he stopped seeing her and her brothers as kids. Apparently Beatrice now had a kid of her own, a little boy whom she had never met. Beatrice stopped seeing her after she cut her off, and now that her father had cut her off she had no clue as to how they were.

The construction for the new marine science research and animal rescue and rehabilitation center was underway, and in a few months she would be able to cut the red tape. The name still needed some work.

In the meantime while the building was under construction and while she looked for a new home she would be staying at a hotel called the Marbella. Apparently there's a party tonight to celebrate a new management company buying the hotel. To be honest she couldn't care less about who owned the hotel now, as long as there was free booze involved.

That night she found herself in a bustling party surrounded by people she didn't know, but the free champagne helped lessen her social anxiety. Truthfully she was much more used to being around animals than humans, but if she was gonna live in a city like Miami she might as well get used to it.

Wandering around she ended up in a cabana, and unknown to her someone else had caught sight of her. Someone she hadn't seen in a long time.

Rafael Solano had almost dropped his champagne flute at the sight of her. He hadn't seen Rosalinda Rossini Escobar in nearly five years, not since he broke up with her to be with Petra. Rafael couldn't stop himself fast enough before saying her name. "Rosie?"

Rosalinda hadn't turned around at first, there were so many people they couldn't have been talking to her. It wasn't until her name was said again, a hand brushing her arm slightly. She looked up to face her ex-boyfriend, Rafael Solano.

He looked the same, and yet so - different. His eyes were kinder, more sad than before.

"Rafael? You look...different."

Rafael had expected animosity, maybe anger. But this woman before him was changed too, she had sadness in her eyes too. No longer was she the sweet twenty-one year old dreamer, now she was grown to the world.

"I feel different." Rafael couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. He really changed. First it was his relationship with his father, losing his child, the cancer. "So what are you doing here? Don't tell me you joined the hotel business?"

"No, no. I'm actually staying here now, while I'm overseeing the construction for a new rescue and research center." Rosalinda couldn't help but boast just a little bit. She had worked very hard to get here without her mothers help.

"That's amazing! I know how much that must mean to you. I just wanted to say, I'm sorry with how things happened between us. I was a douche, especially to you. Me and Petra...we went about things the wrong way, and I'm so sorry I put you through all of that."

Truthfully, she was speechless. She hadn't expected an apology from him at all.

"Yeah...that was a bad time. But I've moved on, the past is the past for a reason. I hope you and Petra are happy together."

"Yeah, yeah - we're happy." They weren't. "Maybe we could get lunch or coffee sometime and catch up? I miss talking to you." Please say yes, please say yes.

"Um, yeah alright I guess." Rosalinda had been unsure at first, but she missed being able to talk to him. After all they were friends before he and she dated. "I missed talking to you too to be honest." She looked down sheepishly, feeling suddenly like a love struck teenager looking into his eyes.

Almost on instinct, he reached his hand out, lifting her head to meet his eyes. For a moment they just stared at each other, lost in the moment. That was until a very awkward server bumped into them wearing a big mermaid tail and clam shell top.

"Well, I'll just leave you to your party. Just message me whenever you wanna talk, okay?"

"Okay...bye." And Rafael watched as she walked away, unaware of Petra's eyes on them.

As Rosalinda walked away, Petra couldn't help the awestruck expression that crossed her face. It had been five years since she saw her ex-friend, since she stole her fiance and left her own.