Brad seemed to share exactly none of my reservations. He insisted that they loved my parents, and my parents loved them—which was true—and that everything would be fine.
Brad always assumed everything would be fine, and though he was usually right, it did little to settle my frantic nerves. We were the perfect yin and yang—always on opposite sides of every spectrum. I was hot, he was cold. I was worried, he was calm. He had a temper, I kept my cool. I was a drinker, he was done after a beer. We held opposite ends of each and every argument, and yet somehow, as his hand slid into mine, it just worked.
From the airport, we were chartered to a large catamaran, which would see us safely to the island. It was a long, eight-hour journey, but the boat was loaded down with food and drinks, and the captain and crew had been playing music all day. Everything was in place and everyone was having fun. It was the most seamless transition I’d ever experienced. Everyone we dealt with was kind and courteous, and everyone knew what was happening and where we would need to be sent next.
We rode atop the catamaran, the warm sun beating down on my face, wind whipping through my hair. Despite the sunscreen I’d applied at the beginning of our journey, I knew I was beginning to burn already. Brad’s forehead was bright pink, and I knew he was trying his hardest not to get sea sick. I could practically taste the salt in the air.
“We made it, guys! There it is!” Andy called, standing up from his seat and pointing straight ahead. Emily sat beside him, one long leg crossed over the other, wearing her signature ponytail and a black bathing suit underneath a see-through white dress. I followed Andy’s finger, to where we could make out the shape of an island in the distance—a golden lump in the vast blue.
As we grew nearer, it began to take shape. The island was largely forest, green palm trees as far as the eye could see. Toward the edge of the water, just where the sand changed from dark and wet to light and dry, there were eight white, reclining chairs, no legs, just flat on the sand. Behind those, there were dozens of hammocks placed sporadically around the trees.
“Holy cow,” I said, sucking in a breath.
“Woohoo!” Andy screamed, cupping his hands on either side of his mouth. “Look at that!” He pulled Emily to stand up next to him, kissing her lips.
“It’s incredible,” Brad whispered in my ear, and incredible it was.
There were small, shaded huts with beds and chairs, open and waiting for us. Off to the left, there was a round, enclosed pergola, with a handful of white dots of employees moving inside them. And behind that, further down the shore, there was a large structure with lights shining from it, despite the bright sun, and I could make out tables and chairs sitting in front of the building, scattered among the sand under an oversized awning hanging from the building.
Far to our right, I saw tiny cabin-like structures. All wood, the front half on short stilts, the back half on the sand. The sunlight glinted across the large windows on the front of each one. The cabins were in groups of four, scattered across the entire right-hand side of the island, clusters of palm trees separating them as if they’d been planted for that purpose. The cabins stretched out as far as the eye could see. In short, it was pure paradise—everything you’d expect a tropical getaway to be, from the airy feel to the salt in the air. Suddenly, my sunburn didn’t bother me so much.
Across from me, Megan was snuggled into the crook of Nick’s arm, a warm and carefree smile on her face.
Beside me, Natasha and Jaren sat. They hadn’t spoken a word to each other most of the flight, nor since we’d boarded the boat. Natasha had an open book on her lap, fighting the wind and flipping the pages tirelessly, while Jaren wore dark sunglasses, his head bobbing against the railing so much that I wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t fallen asleep.
“Nice,” Brad said quietly, bobbing his head with joy.
Nick sat up straighter, keeping an arm around Megan as he stared out, one hand over his brow to block the sun. “There it is, ladies and gents. Paradise.” He grinned broadly at me, and I smiled back, unable to take my eyes off of the way his arm looped around Megan. Brad and I hadn’t touched in such a way in years. Young love. Though they were our age, the relationship was young, and I supposed that was what mattered.
As we neared the shore, the energy seemed to switch. We’d all been excited before, but it was nothing compared to the excitement we felt as the boat began to near the long dock. Natasha closed her book, and Jaren lifted his head. All eyes were on the island. This was really happening.
“This is it, you guys!” Andy cried, one hand in the air as the boat came to a stop.
“Wow,” Natasha said softly. “It really does look just like the postcard.”
Within a few moments, the captain appeared, taking off his hat
