The next morning, Eleanor received a text from lan: [Mr. Dewitt is out of town on business, not in Montclair. The flight back has been changed to tomorrow. We can take another day off today.]
Eleanor was a bit surprised, but considering Mr. Dewitt's status, he was surely a busy man. Getting dinner with him would require an appointment well in advance.
She replied: [Okay, thank you.]
[Let's get breakfast together. I'm at your door.]
Eleanor was about to head down for breakfast anyway. She opened the door, and lan was indeed in the hallway.
She had changed into comfortable, casual clothes. With no makeup and her long hair tied in a low ponytail, she looked more fresh and relaxed than she had the night before.
lan's eyes met hers, lingering on her face. "Did you sleep well?"
She had been drinking last night, and he was worried she might have a hangover. "Fine," Eleanor nodded. The alcohol had actually helped her sleep better.
During breakfast, lan brought up the day's plans. "Would you like to go out? There are a few good museums and art galleries nearby. Or, we could go to the beach. It's not far from here."
Eleanor thought for a moment. After several days of intense conferences, she was still quite tired. "Let's go to the beach," she said. She loved the vastness of the
ocean.
"Alright. After we check out, I'll arrange for a car. We can stay at a hotel by the sea tonight," Ian said with a smile in his eyes.
After breakfast, they set off. About half an hour later, a stretch of azure coastline appeared before them. The beach wasn't crowded; it was a relatively private area.
After checking into the hotel, Eleanor went down to the beach. The sun was perfect, the sky a brilliant, cloudless blue that met the sea on the horizon. Eleanor kicked off her shoes and walked barefoot on the soft sand, feeling the cool touch of the water. A smile spread across her face involuntarily.
lan stood behind her, watching her act like a child. He followed her, a silent, watchful guardian.
As Eleanor walked, she suddenly bent down and picked up a beautiful, smooth shell that had been polished by the waves, holding it up to the sunlight.
"Let me see," lan said, walking over to her.
Eleanor handed him the shell and then ran back to play in the surf.
lan looked at the shell. It wasn't stunning, but it had a gentle warmth. He closed his hand around it, deciding to keep it.
Eleanor continued to play on the fine sand, her mood more relaxed and peaceful than it had been in a long time. It felt as if all her worries had been temporarily absorbed and diluted by the boundless ocean.
It had been so long since she'd felt this relaxed—a relaxation that permeated her heart, body, and mind. Here, she didn't need to think about heavy matters, only to feel the sand and water beneath her feet.
Today, lan was also dressed
casually in a white linen shirt and light-colored pants, which gave him an air of gentle elegance. The sea breeze tousted his hair and his
expression was also one
of rare tranquility and relaxation.
The person he had schemed so hard to win back was right here, just a few steps away-within sight, within reach. He no longer needed to be a precisely calibrated machine suppressing his emotions and calculating every move. He only
needed to learn how to express
himself, how to get closer.
He believed that, sooner or later, he would win her back.
They found a beachside café where they could sip their drinks, listen to the waves crashing against the rocks, and enjoy the cool shade of an umbrella. It was incredibly refreshing.
With a glass of iced juice in her hand, Eleanor leaned back quietly in her chair. Ian held a bottle of cold beer. This was the first quiet moment the two had shared since their divorce.
In the distance, sunlight glittered on the water's surface, and the sea breeze rustled their hair and clothes.
It was as if the shadows of the past were slowly dissipating in the vastness of the sea and sky. The future, like the endless ocean and clear sky before them, might have its storms, but they now knew how to face them.