The strange thing about letting go was that Avery had always imagined it would hurt more.
For years, he pictured the moment as something painful.
Something devastating.
A final goodbye that would leave him broken.
A wound he would carry for the rest of his life.
Instead, as he sat alone on the balcony of the guest house the morning after speaking with Serena, he felt something he never expected.
Peace.
Not complete peace.
Not the kind that erased every feeling overnight.
But enough.
Enough to breathe.
Enough to smile.
Enough to look toward the future without feeling guilty.
The realization surprised him.
The sun was just beginning to rise over the mountains. Golden light stretched across the valleys below, painting everything in warm colors.
Normally Avery loved mornings.
T
