Chapter 34

Returning to Lucy’s apartment after the wedding reception, Lucy and Felix are buoyant and affectionate. As Lucy opens her calendar to plan visits, she confronts an overbooked fall and the looming absence of Bridget. The pressure of work, new commitments, and loneliness make monthly visits seem unrealistic.

Overwhelmed, Lucy blurts that she should move to PEI and even move in with Felix. Felix pushes back, calling it a vacation hangover and warning that island life—and he—aren’t an escape. When Lucy says she needs time to “find herself,” Felix visibly recoils, echoing old wounds.

Felix explains he wants to be with Lucy but only if she is sure he isn’t a stopgap. He admits he is terrified by how easily she could break him and insists on starting from a steady place. Lucy concedes she isn’t certain about uprooting her life and acknowledges her pattern of running from problems.

They agree they can’t move forward right now. The conversation shifts tender as they affirm mutual admiration and how they have inspired each other. Lucy asks him to stay, but Felix leaves, fearing he won’t be able to go if he remains.

At the door, they promise better communication than before. Felix kisses Lucy’s palm and tells her he relishes her, and they part without saying goodbye, hopeful but unresolved about their future.