That Cape house made Lauren fall in love, not just with the gorgeousness of the place but with her husband all over again . . . and also, with how they could be here.

They went up the first weekend in June and sat on the deck, staring at the ocean, holding hands. Pebbles jumped up next to her, unaware that she wasn’t a tiny puppy anymore. The day was sunny and clear, so peaceful and so full . . . the gentle roar of the waves, the wind that gusted erratically, the birds twittering and chattering in the trees. The air smelled like lilacs and salt and pine needles, and if it could be bottled, no one would need antidepressants ever again.

“I feel more like us,” she said.

Josh looked at her, the sun glinting off his black hair. He would tan in minutes with that olive skin of his, courtesy of his mysterious father. “What do you mean?”

“Well . . . we don’t have doctor’s appointments here. No mail cluttering up the counters—”

“Clutter, Mrs. Park?”

“Dr. Park, you’re a slob.”

“I’m reformed. That shock collar worked great.”

She snorted and squeezed his hand. “You know what I mean. It’s not regular life with appointments and obligations. It’s just us and Pebbles. No schedule to keep.” She leaned over and kissed him softly. “Thank you. I love it.”

“I know not being able to travel hit you hard.”

“Well. This is just as good. Better, even.” Though she felt a pang at the idea of possibly never traveling again, it was definitely muted by this view, the deep blue of the Atlantic, the perfect sky above. “I don’t want to waste time feeling bad about what I don’t have when what I do have is all this. You. Jen, the kids, Miss Pebblety-Pie.”

“Get busy living, or get busy dying.”

She laughed again. “Don’t you Shawshank me.”

“You sure you’ll be okay?” he asked over dinner that night. He had to fly to Sacramento for a meeting tomorrow, and Lauren was a little glad. They’d barely been apart since getting married, aside from his three-day medical device conference each fall, and a weekend trip to Vermont she’d taken with Jen. She wanted to be alone here, so close to the sea, in this beautiful house where the sunrise woke her, and she could sip coffee and study the clouds, Pebbles by her side. “I’d feel a lot better if Jen was with you. Or your mom.”

Lauren pulled a face. “Jen just had a baby, and Mom would look at me and cry and tell me how hard this is for her? No, thanks. I’ll be fine, babe. I already called the fire department to let them know exactly where this house is in case of emergency. Sarah’s coming up on Wednesday, and you’ll be back Friday. Relax.”

“I don’t do relaxed.”