Angela's sunhat tilted just so, shielding her face from the brilliant Maldivian sun as she stretched out on the recliner, the turquoise water glimmering like liquid jewels around the overwater villa. The gentle hush of the waves beneath the deck was hypnotic, a rhythm that seeped into the bones and promised absolute rest. For the first time in years, Angela felt like herself again not a woman defined by illness or hospital rooms, but simply a woman on vacation.

She reached for her drink, ...