She felt her breath slowly return to a steady beat. “It feels so good to be back out on the water,” Linnea said, lifting her face skyward.

“Totally,” Anna said. She sat up with excitement. “Linnea, you’ll never guess.”

Linnea turned her head, the tone of voice catching her attention. Anna’s face was pinkened from the sea and sun and something else. “What?”

“I got an e-mail this morning from the aquarium. They’re calling me back in to work!”

Linnea sat up. “Really?” Hope fluttered in her chest.

“Really. They’re taking in a lot of stranded turtles now that the season started. Boat strikes, mostly. I wish those boats would just slow down and give the turtles a chance to get out of the way.”

“When do you go back?”

“Tomorrow. They say it’s urgent. They need help now.”

“Tomorrow? Wow,” Linnea said on an exhale.

“Did you get a call?”

“Nope.” She tried not to let her disappointment show.

“Oh.” Then Anna added with encouragement. “They’re still working with a skeleton crew. Hang on.”

“I have no choice, do I?” Linnea ran sand through her fingers. After an awkward silence Linnea said, “I miss my job. That was a big part of who I was. Now I feel like I’m in limbo. Waiting to see what happens next. I never thought I’d say I miss getting up in the morning and going to work. But I do.”

“If you were at work, you’d be sitting behind a desk. Not sitting here on the beach.”

“True.” Linnea sighed, not feeing comforted.

“Hey,” Anna said. “Why don’t you do what you said… about finding time to do things you haven’t had the time to do.”

Linnea turned her head to look at Anna. “You actually listened to me?”

Anna looked sheepish. “Yeah. I always do.” She laughed shortly. “Even if I don’t show it.”

“You seem, I don’t know… happier.”

“I am.” Anna smirked. “It’s more than the sex,” she said.

Linnea laughed.

Anna looked out at the ocean. “I’m sorry I was such a bitch at the beginning,” she said. “I was pretty down. And all you were doing was trying to stay positive.” She turned to face Linnea. “I admire that about you. Your generosity. I’m not talking about a money kind of thing, but your spirit. I mean it.”

Linnea never thought she’d hear those words from Anna. “Thank you,” she said simply.

Anna said, “And you know, I never really thanked you properly for letting me move in with you. So… thank you.”

Linnea smiled. “You’re welcome.”

“And, hey,” Anna added with a crooked smile, “I have to admit, it’s not too shabby to live on an island.”

“I’m glad you moved in. Really. We’ve become closer, don’t you think?”

“Well, there is your brother. We’re practically related…”

Linnea laughed and jokingly kicked her leg. “You’re so bad.” She looked out at the surf. “I have to admit, I’m kind of envious you have an open relationship with Cooper. It is what it is. No promises made. No feelings hurt.”