Raif found himself sitting at the kitchen counter of his parents home, again, while stirring his cup of coffee absent mindedly. After discovering that Lucinda had packed some of her things and left without leaving a note, his attention seemed to constantly drift. Where was she? Was she coming back? Why was her phone turned off? Was it over between them? It didn't matter how old he was; going home to his parent's house always brought him comfort, especially now.

He drank coffee with his mother and they mostly sat around quietly but it was her presence that was soothing. With a sigh, he looked out of the large glass windows and gazed at the ocean. The sun was casting down onto the water, making it shimmer like glitter and on most days, he would find it beautiful but today it made him feel nothing. Finally Celeste reached out and wrapped her fingers around his hand as they held the coffee mug.

"You know honey, it's not like you tried to explain to her what really happened."

Raif turned his attention to his mother. "She wouldn't listen. I stood there for thirty minutes trying to get her to come out."

"But honey... you left, and you haven't tried going after her either."

"She wanted me to leave."

"Raif." Celeste tucked a wave of hair behind her son's ear. "Since when have you been a quiter? Or someone who mopes around just taking no for an answer?"

"That's the thing mom, I've always been this way. Even back when Rachel broke things off. I just went along with it, I didn't argue."

"You're wrong," Celeste replied. "Look how hard you fight to keep your coffee shop running, and I know you struggle with the finances during off season. Even with your father and me offering to help, you never take our money, you keep working hard and somehow you make it through."

"That's different. It's a business, my livelihood."

Celeste shook her finger and continued. "How about how hard you fought during surfing competitions when you were younger? Like that time you dislocated your shoulder on a hard wave and I urged you to forfeit. I tried to explain to you that there was always next time but you slapped some ice on your arm and went out there again. And what happened? What place did you come in?"

"Second, mom," Raif sighed.

"Exactly! Second place and with an injured shoulder. Most men would have given up but you went back out there and charged those waves..." Celeste studied his face. He had dark shadows under his eyes and the corners of his lips were almost in a frown. "And let's not forget how hard you fought to try to save your brother too. Knowing the way you are, I know you did everything you could to keep him from drowning." Celeste wiped her eyes.

"But I didn't save him. He died and there was nothing I could do," Raif replied, with a tight throat and his eyes ready for tears.

"You have to stop blaming yourself, honey. Rally... he was just... depressed. None of us really knew what he was feeling inside. Don't you think that me, being his mother, that I feel responsible for what happened? Because I couldn't see how sad he was? Maybe if I had noticed then I could have gotten him help, but there's nothing I can do to go back, except right now there is something I can change for you."

"Like what, Mom?"

"You're not a quiter Raif. Sure you may have let Rachel walk away when you were kids, but she wasn't the right person for you. So it was good you let her go. Lucinda on the other hand, is different."

"I thought you didn't like her?"

Celeste sighed. "I do like her. I was just worried about her. She seemed like such a fragile person at first, so unsure of herself, and the last thing I wanted was for you to get involved with someone as broken as me."

"Mom..." Raif's heart sunk as he reached across the counter and took her hands in his. "You're not broken."

"That's sweet of you to say, honey, but I know how hard I've made things for your father ever since your brother died. My bouts of depression, my panic attacks, the fact that I can't leave the house for longer than thirty minutes before I begin freaking out or the fact that I've become more and more scared to even go into town." Celeste wiped a tear that was rolling down her cheek. "I know I'm not the same as I used to be and I know it's hard on your father."

"Dad loves you, Mom. He really loves you. He's the reason I keep my heart open, because I want to find someone I can love as much as he loves you and I don't care what you say, you're not broken."

Celeste's damp cheeks lifted as she smiled at him. "I'd say you've found it with Lucinda and I can see the strength she brings out in you." Then the smile subsided as she tilted her head to the side in thought. "But let's be honest here, you've always been a positive person, but you've also been very lonely in the last few years."

"That's not true..."

"It IS true. Don't tell me it's not. If I've learned anything about Rally's death, its to pay closer attention." Celeste squeezed Raif's hand. "Lucinda makes you happy. Really happy. For the first time in years I see a brightness in your eyes that I haven't seen in so long. So what are you doing Raif? What are you waiting for? Go after her."

"I guess I was waiting for someone to help me pull my head out of my ass."

"And did it work?"

Raif brushed his fingers through his hair and leaned his elbows on the counter, leaving his hands resting on the sides of his head. "I don't even know where to look for her. She could be anywhere."

"Have you tried placing a missing persons report with Sheriff Sanchez?"

"He said that since she left on her own will that she's not considered a missing person."

"Well maybe he can put out a BOLO?" Celeste offered.

"I tried that too, but Sanchez said he can't take advantage of valuable resources, just to track down a girlfriend who left willingly."

Celeste gave a half smile and squeezed her son's hand. "Well I'm sure you'll figure something out. You always do."

"I guess I've just gotta wait for a good lead on where she might have gone, but I pray that she comes back soon so we can work this out. I really hope she's just somewhere blowing off steam."

"Me too."

🌲🌲🌲

The moment Merrill opened his eyes, he felt a deep ache inside himself. It wasn't pain in his chest from the heart attack, it was sadness that squeezed him every time he recalled the broken look on Lucinda's face. She had been blindsided by everything, just as much as he had. What a small world it was. For it to turn out that his own son was the man responsible for the shattered pieces she had become and the very reason she jumped from the bridge...

On top of it all, Aaron did just as he said he would and had him transferred to a hospital in the city. There wasn't a chance to say goodbye to Lucinda and he felt terrible for how things unraveled just a few days prior without being able to discuss any of it. The only consolation was that he would get to go home in two days and once there, he could call Lucinda to find out if she was alright. In the meantime, he would just have to lay in his hospital bed and enjoy the small bit of alone-time he had.

Except, despite Merrill's protests, Aaron kept showing up at the hospital to visit. In fact, Aaron was the last person on earth he wanted to see. He tried telling the nurses to ban him from visiting but Aaron managed to charm them and refered to Merrill as just being a grumpy old man. So, like always, Aaron got his way and Merrill imagined that was how he got Lucinda to fall for him. By using charm and an arrogant flare of confidence. He took advantage of her obvious vulnerability, which Aaron had a knack for detecting.

And with perfect timing, just as Merrill was about to begin reading a book that Duncan had brought him, Aaron arrived.

"I'm here on my lunch break."

"Great," Merrill replied sarcastically without taking his eyes off of the book.

"With you getting released soon, I think we should talk about things."

"I'm not telling Marie about Lucinda if that's what you're worried about." Merrill looked up at Aaron to see him gently draping his sports coat over a chair. "That's your job to tell her."

"Thats not why I'm here." Aaron rolled his eyes as he began loosening the cuffs on his sleeves. "I'm here to talk about you going back to the farm. With this heart attack it's just not safe for you to be there alone."

"And what do you know about what's good or safe for me? This is the first time in years that you've visited this much and it's only because you put me here. You're the reason I'm in this hospital! You have no idea how disgusted I am by what you've done."

"Oh don't be so dramatic, Dad. You just had surgery a few days ago, do you want to go in for another?" Aaron rolled up his sleeves and then sat down to open the deli paper wrapping his sandwich.

Merrill grunted. "It wasn't surgery. All they did was place a stent in my artery to open it up for better blood flow!"

"Whatever. The point is, you're not a teenager, so going on long trips and surfing," Aaron scoffed as he shook his head before taking a bite and then chewing as he added, "Prancing around with that little tramp; mom's probably turning in her grave."

"You bite your tongue. Lucinda is not a tramp!" Merrill growled and glared at his son. "Shes a remarkable woman who has shown me more kindness than my own children, so if you dare say another foul word about her, so help me God, I will finish what I started the day of my heart attack!"

Aaron glared back at him with a clenched jaw. His face muscles were tense and his chest was moving up and down as his fingers gripped the sandwich. However, Merrill did not flinch one bit and kept his eyes set on his son. They stared at each other like that, squaring off silently until a nurse came in to check Merrill's vitals.

"You ok?" the nurse asked. "Your heart monitor shows an increased heart rate."

"I'm fine, it's this man you keep letting back in here." Merrill motioned at Aaron.

Aaron stood from the table and made his way over to the window but looked back at his father, rolling his eyes. "I'm his son, unfortunately."

"Oh," the nurse chuckled. "It's ok. Hospitals can become tiresome, everyone wants to get home as soon as possible. Grouchiness is totally normal."

"I'm afraid it's more than that," Aaron replied, now giving the nurse his full attention as he gave her a once-over. "My Dad has always been stubborn. His way or no way."

"Don't talk about me like I'm dead. I'm right here!"

"Case and point." Aaron smiled, flashing the young and attractive red headed nurse his perfect teeth.

"I'll come back to check on you later. Press the button if you need anything," the nurse directed to Merrill and left the room smiling.

Aaron followed her with his eyes, a tiny lift in his lips which created a bit of a smirk. He seemed pleased with himself, but Merrill was not.

"I'm still here and you're still married..."

"Oh cut it out. I was just being nice," Aaron replied.

"Yeah, sure. You've been nice to all of the nurses."

"And what are you implying?"

"That you're a scoundrel who isn't fit to carry my father's name, and I never realized just how much until the day you gave me this heart attack. How many other women have you seduced that Marie doesn't know about?"

Merrill looked to his son who was rolling his eyes, but he no longer recognized the man that stood before him. When he was born he looked so much like Merrill's late father that he gave him the same name, Samuel Aaron, to honor him. Yet, how could he have raised the person that stood before him now? The person that stared back at him with so much disdane that it chilled him. There wasn't a single trace of Merrill's father's traits in Aaron, other than his good looks, because loyalty and kindness were nowhere to be found in him. This saddened Merrill more than he realized, creating a new ache in his heart.

"What? What is it?" Aaron asked dryly.

"Nothing." Merrill blinked away. "I was just thinking about when you went off and studied abroad in France for a semester. How you met Marie and brought her home to meet us and how I was so happy for you. I could see this spark in your eyes and I just knew Marie would become my daughter-in-law. Your mother loved her the moment she met her. She told me that night after we had dinner at Fiddlers Green, that if you decided to ask Marie to marry you, that she would give you her Grandmother's ring to give to Marie."

"I remember." Aaron folded his arms.

"Your great grandmother's ring was so precious to your mom. I remember her telling me how her grandmother managed to escape Nazi soldiers and how it was the only possession of value that she had, yet she never sold it. So when she finally made it out of Europe and into the U.S, she promised herself that she would pass it on to her future daughter."

"I know the story dad."

"So then I would think you would know how much it meant to your mom to give you that ring."

"And Marie loves it. What's your point?" Aaron threw his hands in the air as if giving up.

"My point is, you don't deserve someone as amazing as Marie. In fact she's so amazing that your mother gave you that precious and priceless ring so you could propose to Marie. But you were never worthy of such a precious family heirloom." Merrill replied.

"Thanks Dad. I'm sure Marie would really appreciate you saying that..." Aaron said sarcastically.

"I never said Marie wasn't worthy. I said YOU aren't, and you know what else? It astounds me that someone like you came from me."

"Wow," Aaron responded without a single reaction present on his face. "Now if you're done with the histrionics, I'd like to discuss the farm. My lawyer set up-"

"GET OUT!" Merrill barked, cutting Aaron off.

However, Aaron continued without missing a beat. "My lawyer drafted some documents which you'll need to sign. We ARE selling the farm."

"NO YOU'RE NOT!"

"The money will help pay for your apartment at the Paradiso Senior Living Community, which is a ten minute walk from where Sylvia lives."

"GET OUT."

"It'll be easy for Sylvia to check on you and the money will also help pay for a caretaker."

"I DON'T NEED ONE." Merrill shouted. "GET OUT!"

"You don't have a choice. You're not fit to live alone and we can't afford a caretaker without it."

"GET OUT!!" Merrill shouted again but this time his heart monitor started beeping as his heart rate became high.

"Excuse me, but what is going on here?" The nurse returned, her eyes flicking back and forth from Aaron to Merrill. "I heard the shouting all the way down the hallway."

"Everything is fine. Just discussing family business," Aaron replied.

"I want him to leave," Merrill directed to the nurse.

"Yes, I think that is wise." The nurse nodded and turned her attention to Aaron. "Your father is in need of lots of rest, so I ask that you keep that in mind the next time you visit. Getting him upset will only delay his recovery after a trama like having a heart attack and having his chest opened up during surgery."

"Fine, but this discussion about the farm isn't over, Dad, so you need to get used to the fact that we ARE selling it."

As Aaron passed by the bed, he left the documents at Merrill's feet and told him that he needed to sign them by the time he visited again. It wasn't a request either, it was a demand. The moment Aaron was out of sight, Merrill kicked the documents off of the bed with a huff. He needed to get out of the hospital. He needed to put a stop to Aaron's ridiculous plan. There was no way he could sell his property without his consent. Who did Aaron think he was barging into the hospital, demanding he sign documents and forcing him into a living situation he didn't want? He had no right.

Merrill folded his arms and stared at his bedsheets for a moment, because he knew what he had to do in order to put a stop to his son's plans. He pressed the button by his bed and the nurse came back to his room.

"How may I help you, Sir?"

"Could you look up a number for me? I need to call a friend and I don't have the number memorized but I know someone who would know how to get a hold of them."

"Sure," the nurse replied.

"Look up The Barrel Wave in Breeze Bay. It's a cafe, a friend of mine owns it."

"Ok, but I'll only do this if you promise to rest after. Your son's visit rattled you and I won't have your health take a toll on my watch."

"He won't be a problem anymore, I promise."