Isobel stepped off the plane and into the narrow gangway, the recycled air giving way to the faintest tease of salt in the distance — a scent that tugged at her chest like a long-lost melody. Beyond the wide airport windows, the familiar sweep of coastline stretched toward the horizon, bathed in late-afternoon light. She’d packed light — a single carry-on, just enough for a visit that would be over before her heart was ready to leave again.
The hum of travelers swelled around her, but her focus sharpened at the sight ahead — her sister, Fancy, one hand in the air, the other clutching a wriggling toddler whose squeal pierced the noise. Fancy’s wave wasn’t polite, it was fierce — the kind you could spot from the back fence at a county fair.
The warmth reached Isobel before her feet did. Sh
