He was a coward last year, and he still hated himself for it. It wasn’t who his parents raised him to be, and who he prided himself on being. How could he encourage children to believe in themselves when he hadn’t been able to trust his own feelings?
But the greatest shock hit him when he noticed how much his life mirrored the fictional Phantom’s life. And just like the desolate man who longed for Christine to ease his sorrow and pain, he knew Stella held the key to his happiness.
If he didn’t find a way to set things right with her, he’d not only lose all self-respect, but the woman he loved more than anything would be forever gone from his life.
Seeing Stella yesterday—for a split second from afar—showed him it was time to face his ghosts and fight his fears.
CHAPTER 19
Stella—July 2018
A
fter a full night of sleep, Stella and Naomi were awake in time to watch the sunrise over Arromanches from their room. They saw a few people on their morning stroll and a delivery van dropping off fresh produce at a restaurant. Seagulls circled over the beach, squawking to each other, and swooping down at astonishing speed to pick up anything edible.
Still up on their balcony, Stella spotted the couple who was so clearly in love. Naomi had dubbed them “the honeymooners.” They cuddled together on a massive rock, the woman nestled in the man’s arms, her head resting on his shoulder. Stella couldn’t see their faces, but their body language told her they were content and cherishing the moment.
“You know what?” she said, “this honeymoon tour is a great idea. When Caroline rattled off all the statistics about marriages, second marriages, money spent on destination weddings and so on, I thought it was over the top. But I’ve been thinking about it. When a couple gets married in their mid-twenties, they have loads of college debt and maybe their parents pay for a short honeymoon. But older couples have achieved something in life, maybe had to deal with some setbacks, and can appreciate their second chance at happiness so much more.”
“You’re right, the average younger couple doesn’t look for a trip like this. We sell so many trips to Vegas or Florida, I started to ask myself if there’s nothing else out there,” Naomi said and put her phone away.
“And granted, not everybody can afford this kind of trip, which is where Caroline’s numbers come into play, but I want to find a way to offer this to more customers. There could be two different packages, the more affordable one, and the luxury one.”
Stella continued to watch the town waking up. Store owners raising the steel roll-up gates and bringing out racks of postcards and T-shirts. “You know, Caroline is wonderful. I’m fascinated by her stories. They add a nice touch to the tour.”
Naomi threw a few personal items into her carry-on. “I don’t think she’s a random tour guide. Remember how she said she met Mom a few years ago in England? Mom told me later about a woman who had just gotten out of a bitter divorce. I bet it was Caroline. But she’s wearing some nice bling on her ring finger, so maybe she found her Prince Charming along the way and it gave her the idea for honeymoon tours.”
“Who knows? In any case, I’m ready for breakfast. How ’bout you?”
“Always ready.”
Entering the restaurant, Stella saw the honeymooners sitting at a table for four. She elbowed Naomi and tilted her head in the direction of their table.
“Good morning! Mind if we sit with you?” she asked.
“Not at all. Please, join us,” the woman said and pointed to the empty chairs. “I have to admit, I couldn’t keep up with the names yesterday, so I’ll just introduce myself again. I’m Sarah, and this is my husband, Andrew.” Sarah beamed at him and reached for his hand.
“I’d rather introduce myself each day anew if we can avoid wearing name tags. They make me feel like a kindergartener in the first week of school. I’m Naomi.”
“And I’m Stella.”
After they sat down and helped themselves to coffee from the thermal carafe, Naomi lowered her voice and asked, “Okay, you have to excuse my question, but how long have you been married?”
Stella couldn’t believe Naomi’s bluntness.
Andrew winked at Sarah and said, “I told you people would pick up on it right away.”
“Two weeks,” Sarah said, her eyes locked on Andrew’s. “I still can’t believe it.”
“Me neither, love,” Andrew squeezed her hand.
How sweet; is he blushing? Stella felt as if they were intruding, and almost wanted to get up to sit at another table. But Andrew must have sensed it, because he said, “Sorry, we don’t want to make you uncomfortable. It took us a long, long time, with many roadblocks, to get where we are today. But what counts is the now, and we intend to enjoy every second of it.”
“Enough about us. Now we’ll eat,” Sarah commanded with a chuckle, “before all those yummy-smelling fresh, hot rolls and croissants are gone.”
“You’re speaking my language, Sarah,” Naomi pushed her chair back. “Chocolate croissant number one, here I come.”
During breakfast, Andrew and Sarah shared a little bit about themselves. They were from Baltimore, where Sarah owned a travel agency specializing in culinary tours, and Andrew worked as a laryngologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
“Say it again?” Naomi asked. “Is there an English term?”
“I’m an ear, nose and throat surgeon, and specialize in voice disorders and injuries.”
“Thank you, but that sounds almost as complicated. At least now I know which body parts we’re talking about.”
Caroline clapped her hands and called out, “Let’s get going, group. François is waiting for us. Fifteen minutes till departure.”
Once they had boarded the bus, Caroline said, “We start today in Saint-Malo. The packages I handed out yesterday contain brochures about the mystical town. Maybe you had a chance to look at them last night, but if not,
