At my husband\u2019s funeral, I spotted “my girls.” Once inseparable, at that moment, we seemed to be strangers in our golden years. As we reunited over regrets and lost time, one reckless idea left us questioning everything.\n
The funeral was quiet. Just a few people stood by, exchanging whispers. I stood apart, clutching my husband\u2019s old hat. It was all I had left of him, of us. The murmurs of condolences drifted past me, barely registering.\n
\u201cYou should come inside,\u201d someone whispered, but I didn\u2019t move.\n
My mind replayed all the plans we\u2019d postponed. Our last trip to the ocean, the dreams we shelved for later. Later he was gone.\n
\u201cIs that\u2026 Nora?\u201d\n
My voice caught in my throat as I spotted a familiar figure at the edge of the group. She looked unsure, holding her handbag tightly, like a shield. Before I could gather myself, another familiar face appeared.\n
\u201cLorna?\u201d I whispered, almost laughing in disbelief.\n
She stood confidently, her bright scarf and glasses a splash of life against the somber crowd. It was like seeing a ghost of my youth, but her eyes held the weight of years gone by.\n
\u201cMy girls…\u201d\n
Later, we found ourselves crammed into a small caf\u00e9.\n
\u201cThis feels surreal,\u201d Nora admitted, stirring her tea. \u201cHow long has it been since we\u2019ve all been together?\u201d\n
\u201cToo long,\u201d Lorna answered. \u201cAnd for this to be the reason… It\u2019s unfair.\u201d\n
I nodded. \u201cI spent the last years taking care of him. Everything else just\u2026 stopped.\u201d\n
\u201cWhat now?\u201d Nora asked gently.\n
\u201cHis last wish was to see the ocean again. I didn\u2019t make it happen while he was here. But I will now.\u201d\n
\u201cI don\u2019t even know what my own wishes are anymore,\u201d Nora confessed. \u201cMy family\u2026 I don\u2019t think they\u2019ve ever seen me as more than a housekeeper. I changed the Thanksgiving turkey recipe last year, and it was a scandal. A turkey scandal.\u201d\n
Lorna snorted, but her humor quickly faded. \u201cAt least you\u2019re surrounded by people. I\u2019ve been alone for so long, I think I\u2019ve forgotten what joy feels like.\u201d\n
Suddenly, I blurted, \u201cWhat if we went on a trip together? All of us. What\u2019s the worst that could happen?\u201d\n
Nora blinked. \u201cA trip? Just like that?\u201d\n
Lorna grinned. \u201cI like it. Crazy, but I like it.\u201d\n
We laughed, we really were at the start of a crazy thing.\n
A few days later, the airport buzzed with the sounds of rolling suitcases, distant announcements, and the occasional laughter of families on their own adventures. I clutched my boarding pass, feeling a growing excitement.\n
For once, my suitcase held items I had chosen not out of practicality or necessity but simply because I liked them.\n
Nora stood nearby, frantically rummaging through her bag.\n
\u201cMy passport was here a second ago!\u201d she exclaimed, her voice rising with each word.\n
\u201cIt\u2019s in your hand, Nora,\u201d Lorna pointed out, her calm tone betraying the faintest smirk.\n
Nora flushed, holding up the document like it had just appeared out of thin air. \u201cOh, well\u2026 I was just double-checking.\u201d\n
Lorna adjusted her scarf with deliberate ease, but I noticed the way her fingers trembled.\n
\u201cRelax,\u201d I said, nudging her lightly. \u201cYou\u2019re the picture of confidence.\u201d\n
\u201cFake it till you make it,\u201d she whispered back, her grin widening.\n
When we landed, the real journey began. We rented a shiny convertible Nora had insisted on.\n
\u201cIf we\u2019re doing this, we\u2019re doing it in style,\u201d she said, tossing her bags into the trunk.\n
The open road greeted us with the salty scent of the ocean, and the horizon seemed to stretch endlessly, daring us to dream bigger.\n
Of course, it didn\u2019t all go smoothly.\n
\u201cMy luggage is gone,\u201d Lorna declared at the motel that first evening.\n
\u201cGone? How does that even happen?\u201d Nora asked, her voice rising again.\n
\u201cNo idea, maybe I forgot it on the baggage claim. But it\u2019s not worth to be fussy about it. I\u2019ll buy something else.\u201d\n
True to her word, she returned an hour later with a flowy dress that looked like it had been made for her.\n
\u201cProblem solved,\u201d she announced, spinning dramatically in the motel parking lot.\n
That night, the town was alive with music and lights. A banner flapped above the square: “Annual Dance-Off Tonight!” Young couples were dancing around.\n
Lorna\u2019s eyes lit up.\n
\u201cI\u2019m joining.\u201d\n
\u201cWithout a partner?\u201d I asked skeptically.\n
\u201cDetails,\u201d she said, waving me off.\n
It wasn\u2019t long before a man with silver hair and a kind smile approached her.\n
\u201cCare to dance?\u201d he asked, handing her a single rose.\n
The music began, and though their steps weren\u2019t perfect, Lorna radiated joy. When the announcer declared them the winners, her laughter echoed through the square. She held up the small trophy as though it were an Olympic medal.\n
\u201cRoger, my partner in dance crime, asked me on a date,\u201d she said later, her cheeks flushed.\n
The night felt almost dreamlike until dizziness swept over me. I grabbed the edge of the table for support.\n
\u201cMartha, are you okay?\u201d Nora\u2019s voice cut through the haze.\n
I awoke in the hospital room. The doctor adjusted his glasses and looked at me.\n
“Dear, your body has been through a lot. Sudden changes, emotional stress, physical strain. It all adds up. You need rest, and frankly, no more travel for now.”\n
I nodded.\n
“I\u2019ll scatter the ashes tomorrow morning,” I turned to my girls. “Then I\u2019ll head home.”\n
Back at the motel, the atmosphere was tense. Lorna poured tea while Nora sat stiffly on the edge of her chair, her fingers tapping against her knee.\n
“You don\u2019t have to cut the trip short, Martha,” Lorna said, breaking the silence. “Stay a few more days. We\u2019ll rest, take it easy. You deserve that.”\n
Nora frowned. “We\u2019ve done enough. Martha\u2019s fulfilling her husband\u2019s wish, you met Roger, but what about me? What have I done that\u2019s bold or life-changing on this trip? Nothing.”\n
“That\u2019s not fair,” Lorna snapped. “We\u2019ve all been through a lot. Maybe instead of blaming us, you should ask yourself why you\u2019re holding back.”\n
Nora\u2019s face reddened. “Holding back? Do you know what it\u2019s like to always be the one people depend on? To never have a moment for yourself because your whole life is about everyone else?”\n
“And do you know what it\u2019s like to be completely alone?” Lorna shot back. “No one to depend on, no one waiting for you at home. It\u2019s easy to criticize when you\u2019re surrounded by family, even if they\u2019re ungrateful.”\n
“Ungrateful? My family takes me for granted every single day!” Nora\u2019s voice rose. She slammed her hand on the table, making the teacups rattle.\n
“Enough!” I said.\n
The room fell silent. Then Lorna stood abruptly.\n
“This is pointless,” she muttered. “I\u2019m going to bed.”\n
Nora followed suit, slamming the door behind her.\n
That night, each of us retreated to our corners, the cracks in our friendship feeling deeper than ever. For the first time, I wondered if this trip had been a mistake.\n
The next morning, Lorna and I sat down for breakfast in the motel\u2019s small dining area. The aroma of coffee mixed with the faint scent of the ocean breeze drifting in through the open windows. I poured myself a cup, savoring the warmth, and glanced at the clock on the wall.\n
\u201cWhere\u2019s Nora?\u201d I asked, stirring cream into my cup. \u201cShe\u2019s usually the first one down.\u201d\n
Lorna shrugged, buttering her toast. \u201cMaybe she\u2019s sleeping in. Yesterday wasn\u2019t exactly restful.\u201d\n
We ate in companionable silence for a while, but as time passed, unease crept in. Lorna\u2019s eyes darted toward the window.\n
\u201cOh, God! The convertible is gone! You know, I\u2019ll feel better if we check on her.\u201d\n
I nodded, setting my coffee down. We hurried to the front desk.\n
\u201cExcuse me,\u201d Lorna said to the receptionist. \u201cDo you know where our friend Nora went? She was staying in Room 12.\u201d\n
The young woman behind the desk looked up from her computer.\n
\u201cOh, yes, she checked out early this morning. She mentioned something about paragliding. There\u2019s a nearby site that\u2019s quite popular. She took one of our brochures.\u201d\n
\u201cParagliding?\u201d I repeated. \u201cAlone?\u201d\n
Lorna exchanged a glance with me, her lips pressing into a thin line. \u201cI\u2019ll call Roger. We need a ride.\u201d\n
Roger arrived within twenty minutes, his car kicking up a small cloud of dust as it pulled into the lot.\n
\u201cMorning, ladies,\u201d he greeted with a grin, though his expression turned serious when he saw our faces. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d\n
\u201cNora\u2019s decided to go paragliding,\u201d Lorna explained, sliding into the passenger seat. \u201cWe need to stop her before she does something reckless.\u201d\n
The drive was tense. I wrung my hands, muttering under my breath. \u201cParagliding. What on earth is she thinking? She\u2019s not exactly an adrenaline junkie.\u201d\n
\u201cMaybe this is her way of breaking free,\u201d Roger offered, keeping his eyes on the road.\n
When we arrived, we spotted her immediately. Nora stood on the edge of the launch platform, the bright straps of her harness standing out against the sky. The wind whipped her hair as she stared out over the ocean, her expression calm but resolute.\n
\u201cNora!\u201d I called, rushing toward her. \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d\n
She turned slowly, a small smile on her lips. \u201cSomething for myself,\u201d she said simply.\n
\u201cBut this is dangerous!\u201d I protested. \u201cYou\u2019ve never done anything like this before.\u201d\n
\u201cExactly. I\u2019ve spent my whole life playing it safe. I need this.\u201d\n
Lorna stepped forward. \u201cIf you\u2019re doing it, so are we.\u201d\n
Nora raised an eyebrow. \u201cReally?\u201d\n
I stared at Lorna, aghast. \u201cYou can\u2019t be serious.\u201d\n
Lorna grinned. \u201cIf we\u2019re going to take risks, let\u2019s do it together.\u201d\n
Before I knew it, we were all strapped into harnesses. My heart pounded as our instructors led us to the edge of the platform. The ocean stretched out before us, vast and endless.\n
The experience was exhilarating. The wind roared past my ears as we soared above the cliffs, the ocean sparkling beneath us. For a few minutes, all my fears melted away, replaced by pure, unfiltered joy.\n
When we landed, our legs wobbled, and our laughter was uncontrollable. Nora\u2019s eyes sparkled with newfound confidence.\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never felt anything like that,\u201d she said, breathless.\n
Later, we stood on the shore, the waves lapping at our feet. I opened the urn, the ashes scattering into the wind. That moment felt sacred, a perfect goodbye.\n
\u201cGoodbye, my love,\u201d I whispered. \u201cAnd thank you, my girls. It was unforgettable.\u201d\n
The drive back was filled with reflection. We had come on that trip searching for something, and somehow, in the chaos and adventure, we had found it.\n
Nora returned home with a renewed spirit. She finally stood up to her family, carving out time to pursue her lifelong dream of painting.\n
Lorna embraced love and laughter, with Roger becoming her partner both on and off the dance floor. Their impromptu moves turned into countless joyful moments.\n
As for me, I chose to live boldly, volunteering at the library and sharing our story. Our paragliding jump became a promise to never postpone our dreams again.\n
Life wasn\u2019t over. It was just beginning.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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