Being young and in love and away from the daily grind can do that for you. I was there, once.

That was why they gave them four weeks of PTO to start. Diana had unlimited days off, but she couldn’t remember the last time she’d used a single day. She was planning to skip this year’s vacation, much like last year, and the year before. Something about sitting alone on a beach, while honeymooning couples traipsed around her, felt like torture. “Oh? You went to the islands with Blake, did you?”

“Actually, my boyfriend had to work. I decided to take a solo trip. I hiked the mountains in Spain. You know, to clear my head,” Macey responded, holding up her wrist, the cuff jingling along with the other jewelry she had on. “And a craftsman was selling these in a little hut on the side of the road. Sixty euros.”

“Oh?” Diana asked, flabbergasted. One could do that—just head out on one’s own? Macey had never sounded like the brave soul who’d solo vacation anywhere. In fact, she and the other girls usually didn’t venture to the bathroom unless they were in a group. A whole other country? She had to give her props. “And did you clear your head?”

“Oh, my gosh, yes!” the young woman gushed, smiling broadly and patting her heart as if it were about to explode from her chest. “It was amazing. I learned so much about the country. About myself. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

A little thrill stuttered through Diana’s own heart. Forgetting the boardroom walls surrounding her and the rest of her group lined up around the table, she blurted, “Really? And you did it entirely on your own? You didn’t know anyone?”

“Not a single person on the entire continent. And I flunked Spanish in school. So it was really intimidating at first,” she laughed. “Half the time, I didn’t know what anyone was saying!”

“And you weren’t scared?”

“To be honest, I was terrified.”

Diana nodded, understanding. Even at just over fifty, she would’ve been scared, too. When was the last time she’d traveled alone, anywhere? Oh, Evan liked his vacations, but he usually chose those all-inclusive beach resort things, where their only responsibility was showing up and the staff took it from there. As a surgeon, he was used to using his brain so much at work that he didn’t want to have to use it on his vacations. Then, with the kids in tow, they’d gone to Disney, the Jersey Shore, or OBX. She’d never even entertained the thought of going out by herself. Some days, it was hard enough getting five minutes to herself. An entire “alone” trip? Insane.

Well, it hadn’t been that insane of an idea—when she was younger like Macey. She would’ve entertained such an idea with no qualms, once. Decades ago. Before Evan came and swept her off her feet, she’d had all those plans. Her biggest one? Paris. More specifically, Versailles.