How do you navigate a world that has always seemed just out of grasp?
Isabela has always known how to navigate life without sight. Growing up in a small town on California's coast, she relied on her instincts, her unbreakable connection to the sea...
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The sunset cast a reddish glow over the beach as I sat there, barely able to process what had just happened. Isa had stormed off after our argument, calling Annie, who'd come out a minute later, and now she'd disappeared inside the house. I could hear her mom, Rafa, ask if everything was okay, her voice full of concern. Then, silence as they left.
I felt the weight of the argument settle over me like a suffocating fog. The anger I'd felt, the jealousy, the hurt—it all swirled together into one solid, choking mess. I buried my face in my hands, running through the fight in my head. I'd handled it all wrong, I knew that much.
A shuffle next to me caught my attention, and I looked up to see Julian lowering himself onto the sand beside me, resting his arms on his knees as he stared out at the water.
"Rough night?" he asked, his voice quiet, but there was a hint of something in his tone—maybe understanding.
I let out a frustrated sigh. "You heard, huh?"
Julian gave a small nod. "Yeah, Isa doesn't usually get that heated, you know? But... she's got a lot going on in her head. Surfing is... it's not just a hobby for her."
I shook my head, feeling the guilt twist tighter in my chest. "I didn't mean for it to go like that. I just—I didn't understand why this was so huge, why she'd even consider moving away. It blindsided me."
Julian looked at me, his expression almost sympathetic, but still with a hint of honesty I couldn't ignore. "Enzo, you have to understand... Isa's been unhappy for a long time. She used to light up when she talked about surfing, about her dad and Hawaii. That passion? It's not something she can just bury. Not forever. But she tried, you know? She tried to convince herself she didn't need it because... well, because of us, because of law school, and because she wanted to make things work here with you."
Hearing that cut deep. She'd put away this part of herself for me, and I hadn't even noticed it. Julian gave me a steady look, as if he could see the guilt I felt.
"She doesn't mean to leave you, Enzo. But asking her to stay put while you go off on tour? You've got to see how that could feel... hypocritical."
I swallowed hard, trying to defend myself, but my words sounded hollow, even to my ears. "It's just... she's talking about moving to Hawaii. With Makoa, of all people. I mean, I get why it's important, but—"
Julian cut in, calm but firm. "Look, I know Makoa's not easy to like, especially if you don't know him. But he's here because of Rafa, not because of Isa. He's doing his job, helping her connect with her dad's legacy. You'd want that too, if you were her, wouldn't you?"
I looked away, feeling a twist of something ugly inside me. "It's just hard seeing her with someone who knows this part of her, this whole world that I can't be part of. I just... I don't know how to fit into it."
Julian sighed, leaning back on his hands as he watched the horizon. "You don't have to understand everything. But you do need to know that this surfing part of her life—it's not going anywhere. It's like music for you, Enzo. Part of who she is. If you really want this to work, even if it means being apart sometimes, then you're going to have to trust her, to make space for this."
