One Year Later

Lake

The cabin looked different now—warmer, more lived-in. There were flower boxes blooming under the windows, wind chimes tinkling on the porch, and a new sign out front carved with care: The Creative Love Retreat.

Ivy stood barefoot in the grass, her clipboard tucked beneath one arm, a warm cup of herbal tea in the other. Her auburn hair was pulled into a messy bun, a pencil stuck through it like an afterthought. Behind her, the scent of cinnamon and pine wafted from the open ...