Head Over Heels ✓

34 / american dream

may, age 24

Caper Cove was a slice of heaven. There was something a little bit magical about the tiny secret of a town, an ethereal feel to the little hideaway that was nestled in a sandy creek off Lake Michigan. The rocky shore was lined with tall trees that protected the town from the cool wind that rolled off the lake, the white-gold beach catching the sun as though a magnifying glass focused the rays on the sand. A little island sat in the narrow inlet, hiding the cove from view.

That island had proved to be the perfect spot to watch boats floating past, the stunning vista stretching from the gentle Michigan shore right across to the bustling Illinois coast. Once on a particularly clear day, the sky a striking azure that held the sun in its cloudless embrace, Lucas had been able to spot the Chicago skyline where tiny skyscrapers dotted the horizon, their fingers touching the sky beyond the glistening lake. It had become his favourite place to relax in the three days since Mira's and Mawar's wedding.

Having taken care of the legal aspect of their marriage almost three years ago, long before they had ever envisaged they would wed, the girls had had a bit more freedom with the ceremony itself. In the end, it was more of a celebration than anything else: it had taken place on the beach just down from the adorable little house they lived in, a cosy cottage tucked into the woods. Mawar had stood barefoot with her toes curled into the sand, her dress matching the swirling blues and whites of the lake; Mira had stood by her side in a flowing dress the colour of the sky as the sun had set over their perfect day with only their closest friends and family there to share their day.

Mawar's parents had been in the country for a month already, taking advantage of the ninety days on their visas to spend some time with their daughter and to explore the country she now called home. They had been staying with Mira's parents, the two couples getting along famously as they had bonded over their daughters and their ties to Farnleigh. Mira's mother had spent the first four decades of her life in the town that Mawar had been raised in, which still served as something of a novelty over the dinner table.

Lucas and Asher had flown out a couple of days before the wedding, each taking a fortnight off work to indulge in their first trip abroad together. In their seven years as a couple, never had they made it further than Scotland when the idea of flying had always turned Lucas's stomach, but he had swallowed his fears with months of planning out the perfect trip. They were due to spend one more night with Mira and Mawar in Michigan before they headed off to enjoy the rest of their holiday touring the east coast.

Even Tom and Mika had made it over. The five days they had spent in the picturesque town had been well-deserved, giving them the break from real life that they had sorely needed when eleven months of trying to conceive had proved futile. They were persistent, determined to have a child, but even they, one of the strongest couple's Lucas knew, were finding it harder and harder to keep going with each month that came and went. When they had headed back to England the day before, it had been with looser shoulders and smiles on their faces, as close as they had always been.

Mira had been selective with her invites. Other than her friends and family in America, the only people she had asked were Tom and Mika and the boys. Not one of her family members from England had made the cut: she wasn't close to any of her uncles or their children and although she knew her aunt a little better, inviting her would have meant inviting Adler. She was the one person nobody wanted at the wedding, the one person who would have undoubtedly made the day all about herself, making everyone else miserable in the process. Lucas had made sure she wouldn't be there before he and Asher had accepted the invite. No matter how much time passed, no matter how many years it had been since he had seen her, her name alone still made his stomach churn.