Tide Changer

Twenty-nine

We didn't see Rys's parents much after that first night in Marfolk. Fiona and Isaac gave us privacy as promised and only invited us to have some drinks the following day.

My last day here felt like the end of a dream. As Rys and I sat to have breakfast in the sun-soaked dining room, my heart felt heavy, unlike my shoulders that finally straightened without the weight of self-doubt and lack of direction in life.

Across from me, Rys sighed, reaching for the brown sugar he'd only put on the table because of me. I left my croissant on the plate. "Rys?"

"Hmm?"

"You said coffee tasted awful with sugar in it."

Brows drawn together, he pushed the sugar away. "I said lots of things."

He had too much to worry about. His dad's surgery was in a few days, and Rys needed to travel to Berlin before that. It'd be an eventful week for him, and one worthy to be included in a survival guide for me. Getting used to him was effortless. Getting over him would require lots of strength. And, most likely, tears.

On cue, my eyes burned. I peered into my mug and quickly brought it to my lips. Rys's vibrating phone was a distraction that allowed me to breathe deeply and pretend everything was alright.

He typed a reply to the text or email he received and rested his cell on the table. "Mom says hello. She also told me to wish you good luck with your studies in Milan."

"Thank your mom for me," I said. "And wish her luck with the events next month."

Fiona ran a successful flower business. According to her, summer was the busiest time of the year because of weddings, and she mentioned a few that would take place at luxury venues made for at least a thousand guests.

With a nod, Rys picked up his phone and answered, while I finished my lukewarm coffee and the croissant I couldn't enjoy like I wanted to because of the emotions lodged in my throat.

"What would you like to do today?" Rys's question sliced through the tension-filled air. "Other than packing."

I didn't want to pack, but it'd be even harder to stand the sight of an open suitcase tomorrow. I placed my empty mug on a pile of plates to take them to the dishwasher. "We could walk in town. And I think I know what I could do with all the seashells I found on the beach."

He rose from the chair. "Good. A walk it is."

***

The familiarity of the cobbled streets of Marfolk, its tiny stores, and the beach intensified the burning pressure in my chest. That Rys barely spoke only made the atmosphere more solemn. It felt as if we'd already started saying goodbye, and I hated the distance that sadness put between us.

As we left The Wave after lunch, Rys slowed his steps at the marina. "I'm handling this like crap."

He steered me toward the steps leading to the beach. Unlike other days, there were plenty of spots for us to sit. Vacation must've come to an end for lots of people, but the thought failed to comfort me.

I leaned against Rys's chest, and his arms snaked around my waist, enclosing me in a safe cocoon.

"I'm not handling our last day well, either," I said over the rumbling waves. "It's such a shame to waste it, but I can't help feeling..."

Rys buried his nose in my hair. "Sad."

"Yeah."

"When are you going to give the rental key to the owner?"