Chapter 22

Two years earlier in autumn, Lucy takes Felix to a neighborhood wine bar, pointing out her favorite local spots. They swap updates: Lucy mentions dating Carter; Felix shares he’s seeing Chloe, who recently moved to PEI. Their banter softens into candor as Felix admits he isn’t a casual-fling person and had been planning Salt Cottages with Zach even before meeting Lucy.

Felix describes skipping college, teaching himself through Zach’s reading lists, and discovering a love of books that substitute for travel while he saved money. Lucy encourages him to write. They trade travel dreams, and Felix affirms he would always return to Prince Edward Island, which prompts him to suggest Lucy could one day make PEI her home and start a flower farm.

Wanting to control the pace of her dream, Lucy asks Felix not to tell Bridget. Felix promises to keep the secret. The next evening, Miles cooks for the group, and Lucy and Felix comfortably fall into a family-like rhythm while cleaning up, suggesting an easier, renewed connection.

Before Felix’s flight, they meet for breakfast. He asks for Lucy’s marketing advice for Salt Cottages, takes notes, and invites Lucy and Bridget to visit and barbecue the next summer. Their rapport feels like friendship “blooming” from old roots.

Days later, Lucy receives an unmarked packet of dahlia seeds, which she interprets as a silent encouragement from Felix. In response, she mails him a clothbound Wide Sargasso Sea without a note. The unspoken exchange affirms their growing, private bond and nurtures Lucy’s nascent farm dream.