Caught in the Current | Chaennie

Prologue

Rosie had always felt a deep connection to the sea. Growing up in the small coastal town of Lorne, Australia, the ocean was her constant companion, its rhythmic waves a soothing presence that kept her grounded. The town, nestled between lush forests and the endless expanse of the Southern Ocean, was a place where life moved at a slower pace, where the salty breeze carried the scent of eucalyptus and the calls of seabirds echoed through the air.

Rosie's life was a simple one. She spent her days working at a quaint beachside café, serving coffee to the locals and tourists who wandered in from the nearby Great Ocean Road. The café, a cozy spot with large windows overlooking the sea, was her sanctuary. It was a place where she could lose herself in the comforting routine of brewing coffee, chatting with regulars, and watching the ever-changing moods of the ocean just beyond the glass.

But despite the calm and contentment her life seemed to offer, there was an undercurrent of restlessness within Rosie. Beneath her warm smiles and easy laughter, she carried a quiet yearning for something more—a desire she couldn't quite name. It was as if the ocean, with all its vastness and mystery, called to her in a way that made her feel both comforted and incomplete.

Rosie had grown up in Lorne, the daughter of a local fisherman and a painter who found inspiration in the rugged beauty of the coastline. Her childhood had been filled with the sounds of the sea and the scent of fresh paint, her mother's canvases always capturing the essence of their seaside town. But as she grew older, Rosie found herself drifting away from the creative world of her mother, choosing instead the steady life of working at the café, where she could keep her feet firmly planted on the ground.

Still, there were moments when Rosie's thoughts would wander as she gazed out at the horizon, where the sky met the sea in a seamless line. She would wonder what lay beyond that distant edge, what stories and adventures were waiting out there in the world beyond Lorne. Yet, each time she considered leaving, something held her back—a fear of the unknown, perhaps, or a sense of duty to the life she had built for herself in this quiet town.

And so, Rosie stayed, her days marked by the gentle ebb and flow of the tides, her nights spent listening to the ocean's lullaby as she drifted off to sleep. But the restlessness within her never fully subsided, like a wave building strength far out at sea, waiting for the right moment to crash against the shore.

Rosie didn't know it yet, but her life was about to change. The tides of fate were shifting, and soon she would find herself caught in a current she could neither predict nor control—a current that would bring with it a whirlwind of emotions, challenges, and a love that would shake her to her core.

And it would all begin with a chance meeting in that very café, when a stranger named Jennie walked through the door, her camera slung over her shoulder, and the ocean's breeze still clinging to her hair.