Page 15 of Hot Girls Date Shifters

Is that destiny is already waiting for me beneath those trees.

Two

Elsie

Tonight, I take my time walking home.

There's no rush.

No late-night conference call waiting for me.

No phone vibrating every three minutes with another email marked “urgent.”

No airport to sprint through because my connecting flight has already started boarding.

No man in my apartment waiting with a kiss and a promise to love me forever.

Not anymore.

Not ever on that last one.

Nope.

It’s just me.

The woods.

And a quiet little life I'm still learning to believe belongs to me.

The gravel path crunches beneath my sandals as I leave Main Street behind, and almost immediately the sounds of Barvale begin to fade.

Car doors become crickets.

Conversations become rustling leaves.

The air changes, too.

It smells greener here.

Earthy.

Pine needles baking in the warmth of the day.

Wild mint somewhere nearby.

The sweet perfume of summer blossoms drifting lazily on the breeze.

I close my eyes for one heartbeat and simply breathe.

God.

This?

This is why I moved here.

Five years ago, I would've been answering emails while speed-walking through an airport terminal, praying my coffee didn't spill on my laptop.

Now, I'm stopping to admire wildflowers.