Serendipitous Love | ✔

Prologue

The couple strolled down the sandy beach, hand in hand, relishing the feeling of the warm sea air on their faces.

He'd whisper I love you's and compliments in her ear, randomly, making her giggle and laugh freely. He got this weird satisfaction hearing her laugh. His heart swelled in pride just by seeing her so happy and carefree.

"Let's head back. It's getting late," she jutted her bottom lip out and scrunched up her nose at the thought of leaving the beach.

"Honey, we practically live five minutes away from here. We can come back tomorrow," he tried to reason which made her grin almost immediately.

He chuckled lightly at her reaction and kissed her temple, letting his lips linger there for a beat longer.

She wiggled out of his hold and started walking backwards. "Race you home," she said and turned around, running in the direction of their beach house.

She could hear him complaining but she didn't stop. If anything, that only made her run faster. She knew that he could catch up to her if he wanted to but he was letting her have fun and that only made her want to kiss the life out of him.

Harper finally reached their home. She unlocked the door and leaned against the doorframe. A playful smirk adorned her beautiful face and mischief sparkled in her wide hazel eyes. Her victory dance commenced as soon as she saw him walk up their driveway.

"Hah. Take that. I won again," she wiggled her thumbs at him and stuck her tongue out.

He shook his head and smiled slightly. Collecting the letters from the mailbox, he headed inside, pulling her along with him and effectively interrupting her victory dance.

"I'll start working on dinner, you check these," he pushed the letters in her hand and pecked her lips before leaving the living room.

She sighed and sat down on the couch, going through different bills and letters. One letter in particular caught her attention and her shoulders slumped in defeat as soon as she read its content.

She called out to him and handed him the letter, keeping a close eye on his face. She did not know what to expect from him but she knew that it wasn't going to be good.

He skimmed through the letter's content and immediately his jaw tightened. He clutched the letter tightly in his hand as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Why does this have to happen now? Why?" he whispered, crumbling the paper and throwing it across the room.

"We will get past this too, Ethan. I promise," she wrapped her arms around his frame and pulled him into her arms.

Ethan pulled her onto his lap and buried his face in the crook of her neck, hugging her tightly to him.

She ran her hand up and down his back, murmuring loving words in his ear. Her heart ached hearing his sobs, but there was nothing that she could do to help ease the pain he was going through.

"I can't let this happen, Harper. The last time I did, we almost lost each other. I'm not strong enough to survive through this again," Ethan hiccuped, pulling Harper closer to him, if that was even possible.

Harper squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to face the reality. She couldn't even bear to look at Ethan without wanting to break down. She had to stay strong for the two of them, even if she wanted to cry until all her senses went numb.

"Everything is going to be okay. We need to stay strong. We're not going to lose each other," she spoke softly, her voice cracking on the last part.

The both of them sat there, wrapped up in each other's arms. Neither one wanting to let go off the other. The sound of sobs and sniffs filled the silent room.

Ethan pulled away suddenly, placing his hands on Harper's shoulders.
"Let's not sit here and waste time like this. Everyday is a new opportunity, so let's not waste it. We have 30 days before..." he trailed off, not wanting to recollect those dreading words from the letter.

"Ethan," Harper whispered, placing her hand on his cheek. "We will make the best of these days. Stop thinking about what is going to happen after a month from now. We have each other right now and that is what matters."

Ethan nodded, mentally promising himself to do everything in his power to make Harper happy. Little did he know, Harper promised herself to make Ethan happy too.

Both the lovers were ready to give the best of their best, only to see the love of their life happy and healthy. None of them wanted anything in return. Their love for each other was selfless.

And at that very moment, both of them started thinking of ways to make the next thirty days memorable and full of surprises.

Five years ago, when the paths of these two very different people had crossed, something crazy had happened... called Serendipity. They could only hope for life to give them another chance at creating their Serendipitous Love again.