Page 134 of See You Next Month

Kelsey and Isabella grabbed their bags and wheeled them out of the resort past the swimming pool just like they’d always done. Once inside their bungalow, Isabella went to the bathroom and ran her fingers through her hair.

“You look beautiful,” Kelsey said, putting her arms around her from behind. She kissed her neck then met her gaze in the mirror. “I don’t think anyone is going to be surprised by our news.”

“What do you mean?”

“Our followers have been with us the whole time. We’ve had a comment or two that we’d make a cute couple, remember?”

“Hmm, maybe you’re right. They’ve had a front seat to our little romance,” Isabella said, turning in Kelsey’s arms.

“Little? We’ve been meeting in the Virgin Islands for six months. I wouldn’t call that little.” Kelsey smiled and kissed Isabella softly.

“Mmm,” Isabella moaned and pulled Kelsey closer.

The kiss may have started softly, but Kelsey’s lips were hungry for Isabella’s once they touched. Their breaths and quiet moans were the only sounds echoing in the bathroom as their tongues did a dance of love.

When they finally pulled apart Kelsey gulped a breath. “Our romance is big, just like our love.”

Isabella put her hand on Kelsey’s cheek. “Let’s shoot this video and celebrate our big love the rest of the night.”

“You always have the best ideas.” Kelsey kissed Isabella again then playfully tapped her on the ass.

Isabella laughed. She walked out of the bathroom and opened the back door onto the deck. “Aww, our happy place,” she said, holding out her arms.

Kelsey grabbed her hand as she walked by and led them to their favorite table and chairs on the beach. There were a few people sprinkled here and there down the beach, but no one nearby.

“Are you ready?” Isabella asked as she sat in a chair next to Kelsey.

“Action,” Kelsey said in her best director’s voice.

38

Isabella chuckled, held up her phone, and began recording. “Hi everyone, thanks for joining us on another magical trip to Coral Bay. We usually have a theme for these trips, but this one is a little different. Last month on our recharge and reset trip, some things happened that we felt compelled to share with you.” Isabella smiled over at Kelsey.

“This month we’d planned to do a bachelorette or bridesmaids vacation, but instead we’re calling this trip: magic,” Kelsey said, taking up the conversation. “If you’ll remember, we originally started these trips as two single moms who wanted to show you all that Coral Bay had to offer along with the magic of the islands. We’re not influencers or spokespeople, we’re just working moms like many of you.”

“Right now we’re sitting outside our bungalow,” Isabella said. She panned the phone around to show the back deck, the beach, then the water. “We’re still Kelsey and Isabella. We’re still moms, but we’re no longer single.”

“Is that a gasp I heard from the crowd?” Kelsey teased.

Isabella laughed and rolled her eyes. “We’ve been telling you all along that it’s magical here and wow, has it worked on us.” Isabella smiled at Kelsey. “Kelsey and I have fallen in love,” she said, then looked back at the camera.

“Some of you may have seen it coming, but we certainly didn’t.” Kelsey grinned.

“We want to take you with us once again and show you how it happened,” Isabella said. “It began at the airport where we first met?—”

“Neither of us knowing we were both going to Coral Bay, but we ran into each other there and quickly fell into a friendship,” Kelsey said. “We haven’t shown you everything we discovered on that first trip at Christmas, but tomorrow you’re coming with us to a place that is truly magical.”

“We’d been saving Honeymoon Beach over on St. John for a special trip, but decided it’s time to share it with all of you,” Isabella said. “If you’ll indulge us and come along with us tomorrow I think you’ll feel the magic we’re always talking about.”

Isabella smiled at Kelsey then looked back at the camera and tilted her head. “Have you ever had a friend who just gets you?” she asked. “That’s Kels for me. The very first time we met was at the baggage claim. I was trying to wrangle two big suitcases, a satchel for my computer, and a very large purse. All Kelsey had was a small suitcase and little purse. She helped me get my bags, but more than that she showed me I didn’t need all this stuff.”

Isabella smiled at Kelsey and handed her the camera. “I’d been carrying around all these expectations.” She held her hands up by her shoulders as if she was holding something heavy. “Much like my suitcases, I let all that stuff go. Guess what happened?”

Isabella paused, looked over at Kelsey, then back to the camera. “Letting go gave me room to be me. Not the me everyone thought I should be, but the me I want to be. That’s the magic you bring back with you after you visit the islands.”

Kelsey smiled as Isabella reached for the camera. She raised her eyebrows. “It must be my turn.” She looked over at the water and back to the camera. “I came here because I always wanted to spend Christmas at the beach. However, I thought my daughters would come with me. If you’ve been following us, then you met Dana and Emma in March on our spring break trip. They had other plans at Christmas, though. My expectations were very low when I got off the plane. I planned to stay to myself, enjoy the beach with a few cocktails, and work.”

Isabella leaned into the frame and smiled. “Kelsey has spent the last twenty-five years doing things for her girls. It was time she chose herself.”

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