Mick turned away from Trish and wondered if they were making a mistake. It wasn't the no sex part or even the fact he wanted to kiss her. Maybe they should exchange numbers and keep in touch. But what would they do? Share their Wordle scores? Not knowing where she was from meant he wouldn't search for a job near her. He felt like she was lost and needed saving, and he wanted to be the hero. The more he thought about it, he knew she came on vacation lost the same way Tyler had been on his trip. Mick felt bad the only thing Trish would leave with was having survived the holiday.

Holding her hand felt nice, like middle school when he dated Jenny Collins. She was cute with freckles around her nose too. Had he regressed back to thirteen?

Mick skipped the bar and walked to his room. He could come back for a weekend or even a day trip, but knew he wouldn't. The magic would be gone. He had just finished brushing his teeth when he heard a knock on his door. Freezing for a moment, he had to decide if he wanted one last fling.

"What the hell the damage is done."

Mick walked to his door to find Candy smiling at him. "I missed you today. Do you want your Christmas gift?"

"Come in."

Mick only had one condom left so she wouldn't stay long. When he left the island he would go back to being celibate.

Candy clung to him when he tried to push her out the door. "I have to pack."

"Don't leave. Stay a few more days." She whined.

"I have to work. It's been fun."

"Fun! I thought we had something real."

He shook his head. "That wasn't what we agreed on."

She proved why casual flings never worked. Most of the time, the woman wanted more. He lived the life of a nomad and couldn't offer long term.

The scene as he tried to get her to leave made him regret inviting her in. He bit his tongue before he suggested she go home to her child. She was a selfish mother. Good parents should be selfless like Chickie. His mother was unaffectionate to both him and his father. Mick assumed she stayed with him for the comfort of her lifestyle. As a kid Mick worried they would divorce and neither would want him. Once he was out of the house, he didn't care what they did.

Mick had packed before he left his room for breakfast. In the morning light, Candy's reluctance to leave made it easier for him to face reality. After a last meal together, he'd say goodbye to Trish. Still a wave of sadness flowed through him.

Trish sat waiting for him and he was struck by how young she looked. Her freckled unblemished skin hid her intelligence and maturity. Other women must envy her, yet an idiot let her go. Mick felt sad.

"Hey, this is it."

He nodded, unable to find the right words. All he knew were the wrong ones: take my number, if you ever get to Boston. Leaving it open would be a mistake.

They were both quiet, and when they finished eating, he suggested they go for a walk. She smiled, and he reached for her hand feeling young again.

Trish broke their silence. "It's beautiful here."

"It really is."

She sighed. "How much longer?"

He looked at his watch. "Boat leaves in an hour."

"What will you do when you get home?"

He shrugged. "Buy some food."

He had a woman who came in and cleaned and washed his clothes, so he had very little to do.

"I'll go to sleep early."

She nodded. "Back to the real world."

He smiled. "Exactly. You'll be okay?"

"Alone here? Or in general?"

He looked into her beautiful green eyes. "Both. I know you experienced pain."

She nodded. "I brought a book which will keep me entertained."

"And?"

She shrugged. "Life goes on. As soon as I get home, I'll be too busy to remember. I didn't have time for him when we were together and now I don't have time to miss him."

Mick had so many questions. What took up her time?

She squeezed his hand. "I don't want to think about my past."

He nodded and tried to decode her. She gazed at him as if memorizing his face. Without thinking, he leaned in and gently brushed her lips. When he pulled back her eyes fluttered open. If only, he thought, but it was too late.

They stayed together watching the blue water lap onto the white sand. It was so different from New England beaches. He wondered if it was like Saint Thomas. Eventually, they walked together to the dock. Others were waiting to load.

Mick sighed. "Thanks for a great Christmas."

Trish bit her lip. "I was wondering. Can we take a picture together?"

He smiled. "Yeah. Why not?" He looked at a woman standing near them. "Will you take our picture?"

Trish smiled. "On two phones."

Mick's arm wrapped around her and he smiled while their photographer clicked one phone and then pick up the other.

"Thank you," he said as he took his phone back.

"You're younger than me, so I'm surprised you don't know you can share pictures."

Trish looked at Mick, and they laughed. No one would understand and he felt relieved she didn't break their agreement like Candy had.

Mick held out his arms and pulled her in. Hugging her, he murmured, "Thank you. Be happy."

Her eyes were cloudy when they separated. "Thank you. Be safe."

"Mick. Mick!"

He turned to see Candy running towards him. She flung into his arms. "Don't leave."

He pulled her off him and said, "Sorry, I have to get home before my wife does."

She slapped him as Trish stood with her jaw hanging. He turned to her and winked. In Spanish, he said, "No pudo resistirme." (I couldn't resist.)

Candy stomped off, as he took a long look at Trish. She said, "Thanks. It was fun."

"Adios amiga." (Goodbye, my friend.)

Trish stayed on the dock waving until he couldn't see her anymore. Mick opened his phone and looked at their picture. A simple thing like picking a seat by the pool had changed his trip. She was the perfect companion, especially since he missed his friends Meg, Emily, and Lucy. His holiday would have been a bust if Candy had sat next to him. Mick would have played with her kid the whole time while she groped him. After one more glance, he tucked his phone away and enjoyed the ride over the beautiful water.

When Mick stepped into his apartment, it didn't really feel like home. The place was filled with furniture he would never choose. In Boston, he had sublet his apartment to some college girls. Hopefully, they hadn't trashed the place. His neighbor, Vivian, emailed occasionally that the girls were very polite and quiet. Viv was in her seventies but she acted about fifty. Before he left, there was a man she was seeing who was at least twenty years younger. Mick called her a cougar, and she smiled and laughed.

As the sun went down, Mick sat down with a plate of rice, beans and chicken. He made up a pot full, so he could eat for a few days. After being spoiled by the restaurant, he would have to get used to eating his own cooking alone.

He thought of the sun setting on the island out in the sea. It was so close but a world away. Would it be easier or harder to leave it and fly to the cold climate in The States? If they exchanged numbers, he could ask Trish in a few days, but they had left their friendship on the island.

After he ate his fill of his own cooking, Mick picked up his phone and called Tyler. They hadn't connected on Christmas day. Hopefully, he wasn't waking the baby. His friend answered, "Merry Christmas."

"Feliz Navidad." His mind wandered.

"How was your getaway?"

"It was good. Relaxing."

"How relaxing? Pop, I'll take Blue out."

Mick waited while he heard rustling, and a door shut. "How're things, Daddy?"

He could hear Tyler's smile through the phone. When Mick left, his friend had been depressed. "Clara's amazing. We're exhausted, but we don't care. We get a lot of help."

"Chickie?"

"Yes, Poppy's family came for Christmas which was stressful, but they left earlier today."

"Send me some more pictures."

"You really want to see her?"

"Yeah. I like kids. I had a gang of them clinging to me in the pool."

Tyler laughed. "How many women clung to you?"

Mick paused, two? "One threw herself at me."

Tyler laughed. "And you hated to disappoint her."

"I'm a nice guy. Don't worry, I was careful."

"The best mistake I ever made."

Mick smiled. "You're so damn happy."

"I have two reasons to be. Meg's been great helping with Clara. Even Eli visits."

"Your brother holds the baby?"

Tyler laughs. "Not so much, but he likes to look at her. I think he'll do better when she gets bigger. You know Lucy's in love."

"She told me. So much has changed since I've been gone."

"Was it awful spending Christmas alone?"

"No, I went snorkeling and had a nice dinner."

"By yourself?"

"No, I made a friend."

Tyler laughed. "Your hot sex?"

"No, um, just a friend. She had some baggage she was escaping, but she was happier than you were this time last year."

"Was she? Anyway I say it, I'll sound like a jerk."

"You, a jerk? She looked amazing, but we started as friends and kept it that way."

"Do I hear regret?"

"No, not really."

"Where's she from?"

Tyler sighed. "I don't know. We also skipped the personal bios. It sounds stupid now."

"You can find anyone using google."

"Not without a last name." He could call the resort and ask for her, but not without her last name. He didn't remember which room she was in.

Tyler sighed. "I'm glad Poppy had my number. I need to go in before my nuts freeze."

Mick laughed. "You need them to keep Poppy happy."

"Not for a while. Between you and me the whole baby coming out did a number down there. It might be awhile before Poppy lets me near her."

"Poor thing. Remember, it must not feel good."

Tyler sighed. "I know that. I'm a very caring husband." Mick heard crying. "Bro, I have to go."

Tyler hung up before he could say goodbye.

Timeline: Clara is just a newborn and Leigh is having a tough week.

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