“There isn’t. There just isn’t. I see no way . . .” Another tear, a blessed tear that let him know she cared, ran down her cheek.

“You still love me,” he said.

“Nick, don’t say that. You don’t know that. I love my family—my husband, my children.”

“Yes, I know. But I know you still love me.”

Her voice rose; she lifted her hands. “Do you want to tell me how you could possibly know that?”

“Because I still love you. I always have. Other things in my life have been . . . uncertain. Not this. Don’t you see now?”

“See what?”

“Our vows are still there, never broken. They were . . . covered by other vows. But ours were never broken. You didn’t leave me. I didn’t leave you. They-—our promises—are still there.”

Amy groaned. “I’ve made other vows since then, Nick.” She bowed her head. “I’ve always wondered what happened . . . and I wanted to find out, finally, where you were. And I’m so sorry that you had to go through all that. But you married a wonderful woman. I married an amazing man. We have lives, children, other vows. I don’t, can’t see any way around this . . . fact.”

“It’s more than that.”

Amy pointed to the horizon. “We have to get back to the beach. I don’t want to talk about this again. I’m sorry you went through that hell. I am. There’s nothing I can do to turn back time and fix it.”

“Well, I’m here now.”

“Let’s leave this alone. It’s dangerous and ancient ground.” She grabbed his hand. For that he was grateful. “This is so hard.” She let go, then turned and walked toward the beach, staring straight ahead.

He stood, dizzy, to follow her. He shook his head, taking one step to every two of hers. Leaves disintegrated with a whisper under his feet as he walked behind Amy, wanting to say something, anything intelligent. But all he could find inside his head were begging words and the abysmal breach between the man he’d meant to be when he was with her in college and who he was now.

He reached to touch the back of her hair; she whipped around. Something reflected on her face in the last crest of light—ah, tears. She turned from him and continued walking; but now he knew that she, too, felt the sting of what they’d lost.

Amy attempted to stay her tears as Nick walked behind her. If she turned and reached out, he would be hers. Once that was all she’d ever wanted; now it was impossible. She kept looking straight ahead until they broke through the low palmettos and marsh grass to the beach.