Alex looked away before he spoke. “You try and get through each day—thankful to reach the next one. Like the waves, they keep coming and receding—that’s how this war feels. You gain ground, but it’s a matter of time before it’s taken away or abandoned. Over there, it’s a no win situation. But—I don’t want to talk about Nam. I just want to carry you off—back to our own private world.” The corners of his mouth edged upward. Jorden knew the look and reached for his hand as they strolled back to their room.

Hours later, they emerged refreshed. The skies had darkened, and the rain pelted down.

“Let’s walk on the beach,” Alex suggested.

“Are you crazy? It’s pouring out there.”

“So? Don’t you have any spunk?”

Jorden couldn’t resist the challenge. She slid on a lightweight jacket, pulled on her wrinkled blue shorts, and stepped into her white flip-flops to give her feet support on the sand.

“We’ll have about an hour before the sun sets. By then our appetites for dinner will be back.” Alex winked at Jorden. “For dessert we’ll end our day on the sweetest treat ever.” She looked up and slapped his back in jest, knowing full well what he implied.

Wednesday morning, the sun poured into their room and woke them early. Jorden stretched out, enjoying Alex next to her.

“What shall we do today? We could go for a drive and explore the northern shores,” Alex suggested.

“Let’s take our snorkeling gear—maybe we’ll find a nice quiet area.” Jorden sat up and looked at Alex before she spoke. “One day left, let’s enjoy it! I’ll do my best to have a tearless day.” She leaned over and kissed him.

After a relaxed breakfast, Alex drove them away from the city. Jorden spotted a quiet cove where people were snorkeling.

“Let’s go down there.”

They gathered their gear, strolled down to the sandy lagoon, and found a spot to put on their flippers. After assembling their snorkeling gear, Jorden entered the calm water. A new world opened up. The reflection of the sun turned the lagoon into an array of colors—reds, yellows, and greens. Schools of fish whirled in and out of the coral reefs and rock formations. Jorden and Alex floated on top of the water, bobbing back and forth with the push and pull of the gentle waves.

Jorden almost forgot this was their last day. After an hour, Alex was ready to leave. She pulled herself out of the water and took off her flippers, before walking up the beach. They toweled off and sat on their beach towels to let the hot sun dry their suits. She watched others soaking up the sun. Unexpectedly, her eyes fell upon a man who looked like Matt. She did a double take and couldn’t take her eyes off him.