9
KARISSA
I turned off my phone and smiled. Newbie was funny. It was nice chatting with him. Familiar in a way, but not. He made me laugh, and he made me feel like I could talk to him. Like sharing that a part of me still wished I’d chosen Xavier instead of my hometown all those years ago.
I was a mess when I first came home from college. My mom tried to be there for me, but I was inconsolable. I wanted Xavier, but I wanted the life I planned. The life we both planned. My dad died when I was in high school, and I wanted to live in MacKellar Cove by my mom and raise my family close to her.
I built a life on my own. Not the life I thought I would have with Xavier, but a good life. I became friends with Finley, Blake, Elise, and Laura over the years. All facilitated by my mom. Finley and
