Departure Lounge (Completed)

Family Vacay

"I'll get you for this." I wasn't completely serious but I did already have something in mind for payback.

Ben and I have really come a long way these last six months, through our love for the girls we've formed a strong friendship and we had informal shared-custody agreement. We lived separately but a few times we've all stayed together at the manor. The manor has never been more lively and we all love it-things are falling into place. It's almost a year to the crash and the death of Michelle-the trip had done a good job in distracting us but I can't help but think how different my life would have been if I never got on that plane, if I'd stay and married Marc. If I never got the chance to tell Nate how I felt about him. Then again I never did tell him.

Nate and I haven't really spoken these past months, of course I would see him from time to time: charity events, my father's office, I even sent a gift on his birthday though I chose to skip the celebrations. It was hard enough to always see in the society pages with Lindsay on his arm-I was not going to be "his ex" at that party. Though to be fair I couldn't be upset as the way the tabloids would paint Ben and I, they all assumed we were a couple since we were raising two children together. We didn't bother to fight them on this and chose to focus or efforts on the girls and building a stable environment for them.

"Hey you." Cole called out as he walked towards me, he turned to say something to April who then turned towards the hotel. "Are you planning on joining us or you gonna stay here contemplating life forever?" He nudged my shoulder with his.

"Just getting a little perspective."

"No your sulking an I know it's about Nate."

"No. He's the furthest thing from my mind." I lied terribly.

"It's been six months sis, might be time to bury the hatchet and call him."

"I think it might be too late for that. He's moved on." Cole moved to stand in front of me blocking my view to the sea.

"Alright, firstly there is no concrete evidence to say he is-you're just speculating." His face was stern as he spoke and I knew he was being very serious. "And secondly, he was a good friend, great friend even, long before any of this mess. If you valued the friendship you once had with him you'd swallow your pride and fix this." He was definitely angry.

"Jeesh Cole don't hold back, tell me what you really think."

"I don't mean to sound so judgemental, I'm just tired of watching you pine over him or blame yourself for each day that passes and you haven't tried to make this all right."

"Well why can't he be the one to fix this?"

"Because you're the one who told him to stay away and he's respecting your wishes as he's always done. Now come on, this is our vacation-it should be worry-free and fun. And right now I'm starved."

"Right, let's go I'm sure mother will be fussy if the food gets cold." We walked side by side, his arm flung over my shoulder- he was right I needed to fix this between me and Nate and most of all try to fully enjoy this vacation. After all I am surrounded by people who love me and who I love.

"Hey baby! I saved you a seat." And of course April.

After lunch Ben offered to take the girls out for the rest of the day, giving me a little time to myself. The plan was to go to the shopping village within Wailea but I found myself back on the beach, I stayed out until sunset; the sunset was so beautiful here that every day it was like watching it for the first time all over again.

"I wish you could see this Michelle. It's fantastic-the colours, the waves-they weren't kidding about this place being paradise." I knew if anyone was to walk by they would think I was crazy but to me it was crazier to think that just because we die that we don't leave a piece of us behind. "This past year has really seen so many ups and downs, it's hard to think that today would have been my one-year anniversary to Marc, which means tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of your death." I drew circles in the sand with my feet as if I expected that the answers I sought would suddenly appear written in the sand.