“You should come inside,” someone whispered, but I didn’t move.

My mind replayed all the plans we’d postponed. Our last trip to the ocean, the dreams we shelved for later. Later he was gone.

My voice caught in my throat as I spotted a familiar figure at the edge of the group. She looked unsure, holding her handbag tightly, like a shield. Before I could gather myself, another familiar face appeared.

“Lorna?” I whispered, almost laughing in disbelief.

She stood confidently, her bright scarf and glasses a splash of life against the somber crowd. It was like seeing a ghost of my youth, but her eyes held the weight of years gone by.

“This feels surreal,” Nora admitted, stirring her tea. “How long has it been since we’ve all been together?”

“Too long,” Lorna answered. “And for this to be the reason… It’s unfair.”

I nodded. “I spent the last years taking care of him. Everything else just… stopped.”

“What now?” Nora asked gently.

“I don’t even know what my own wishes are anymore,” Nora confessed. “My family… I don’t think they’ve ever seen me as more than a housekeeper. I changed the Thanksgiving turkey recipe last year, and it was a scandal. A turkey scandal.”

Suddenly, I blurted, “What if we went on a trip together? All of us. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Nora blinked. “A trip? Just like that?”

Lorna grinned. “I like it. Crazy, but I like it.”

We laughed, we really were at the start of a crazy thing.

A few days later, the airport buzzed with the sounds of rolling suitcases, distant announcements, and the occasional laughter of families on their own adventures. I clutched my boarding pass, feeling a growing excitement.

For once, my suitcase held items I had chosen not out of practicality or necessity but simply because I liked them.

Nora stood nearby, frantically rummaging through her bag.

“My passport was here a second ago!” she exclaimed, her voice rising with each word.

“It’s in your hand, Nora,” Lorna pointed out, her calm tone betraying the faintest smirk.

Lorna adjusted her scarf with deliberate ease, but I noticed the way her fingers trembled.

“Relax,” I said, nudging her lightly. “You’re the picture of confidence.”

“Fake it till you make it,” she whispered back, her grin widening.

When we landed, the real journey began. We rented a shiny convertible Nora had insisted on.

“If we’re doing this, we’re doing it in style,” she said, tossing her bags into the trunk.

Of course, it didn’t all go smoothly.

“My luggage is gone,” Lorna declared at the motel that first evening.

“Gone? How does that even happen?” Nora asked, her voice rising again.

True to her word, she returned an hour later with a flowy dress that looked like it had been made for her.

That night, the town was alive with music and lights. A banner flapped above the square: “Annual Dance-Off Tonight!” Young couples were dancing around.

Lorna’s eyes lit up.

“Without a partner?” I asked skeptically.

“Details,” she said, waving me off.

It wasn’t long before a man with silver hair and a kind smile approached her.

“Care to dance?” he asked, handing her a single rose.

The music began, and though their steps weren’t perfect, Lorna radiated joy. When the announcer declared them the winners, her laughter echoed through the square. She held up the small trophy as though it were an Olympic medal.

“Roger, my partner in dance crime, asked me on a date,” she said later, her cheeks flushed.

The night felt almost dreamlike until dizziness swept over me. I grabbed the edge of the table for support.

“Martha, are you okay?” Nora’s voice cut through the haze.

I awoke in the hospital room. The doctor adjusted his glasses and looked at me.

I nodded.

“I’ll scatter the ashes tomorrow morning,” I turned to my girls. “Then I’ll head home.”

Back at the motel, the atmosphere was tense. Lorna poured tea while Nora sat stiffly on the edge of her chair, her fingers tapping against her knee.

“You don’t have to cut the trip short, Martha,” Lorna said, breaking the silence. “Stay a few more days. We’ll rest, take it easy. You deserve that.”

“That’s not fair,” Lorna snapped. “We’ve all been through a lot. Maybe instead of blaming us, you should ask yourself why you’re holding back.”

Nora’s face reddened. “Holding back? Do you know what it’s like to always be the one people depend on? To never have a moment for yourself because your whole life is about everyone else?”

“And do you know what it’s like to be completely alone?” Lorna shot back. “No one to depend on, no one waiting for you at home. It’s easy to criticize when you’re surrounded by family, even if they’re ungrateful.”

“Ungrateful? My family takes me for granted every single day!” Nora’s voice rose. She slammed her hand on the table, making the teacups rattle.

“Enough!” I said.

The room fell silent. Then Lorna stood abruptly.

“This is pointless,” she muttered. “I’m going to bed.”

Nora followed suit, slamming the door behind her.

The next morning, Lorna and I sat down for breakfast in the motel’s small dining area. The aroma of coffee mixed with the faint scent of the ocean breeze drifting in through the open windows. I poured myself a cup, savoring the warmth, and glanced at the clock on the wall.

“Where’s Nora?” I asked, stirring cream into my cup. “She’s usually the first one down.”

Lorna shrugged, buttering her toast. “Maybe she’s sleeping in. Yesterday wasn’t exactly restful.”

I nodded, setting my coffee down. We hurried to the front desk.

“Excuse me,” Lorna said to the receptionist. “Do you know where our friend Nora went? She was staying in Room 12.”

The young woman behind the desk looked up from her computer.

Lorna exchanged a glance with me, her lips pressing into a thin line. “I’ll call Roger. We need a ride.”

Roger arrived within twenty minutes, his car kicking up a small cloud of dust as it pulled into the lot.

“Morning, ladies,” he greeted with a grin, though his expression turned serious when he saw our faces. “What’s going on?”

The drive was tense. I wrung my hands, muttering under my breath. “Paragliding. What on earth is she thinking? She’s not exactly an adrenaline junkie.”

“Maybe this is her way of breaking free,” Roger offered, keeping his eyes on the road.

When we arrived, we spotted her immediately. Nora stood on the edge of the launch platform, the bright straps of her harness standing out against the sky. The wind whipped her hair as she stared out over the ocean, her expression calm but resolute.

“Nora!” I called, rushing toward her. “What are you doing?”

Lorna stepped forward. “If you’re doing it, so are we.”

Nora raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

I stared at Lorna, aghast. “You can’t be serious.”

Lorna grinned. “If we’re going to take risks, let’s do it together.”

Before I knew it, we were all strapped into harnesses. My heart pounded as our instructors led us to the edge of the platform. The ocean stretched out before us, vast and endless.

The experience was exhilarating. The wind roared past my ears as we soared above the cliffs, the ocean sparkling beneath us. For a few minutes, all my fears melted away, replaced by pure, unfiltered joy.

“I’ve never felt anything like that,” she said, breathless.

Later, we stood on the shore, the waves lapping at our feet. I opened the urn, the ashes scattering into the wind. That moment felt sacred, a perfect goodbye.

“Goodbye, my love,” I whispered. “And thank you, my girls. It was unforgettable.”

The drive back was filled with reflection. We had come on that trip searching for something, and somehow, in the chaos and adventure, we had found it.

Lorna embraced love and laughter, with Roger becoming her partner both on and off the dance floor. Their impromptu moves turned into countless joyful moments.

Life wasn’t over. It was just beginning.

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