Under the Vineyard Sky

Chapter 15

The morning after the family dinner, Isabella found herself awake earlier than usual. The quiet of the house was soothing, with only the distant hum of birds and the soft rustling of leaves in the vineyard breaking the silence. She stood by the window, looking out over the sprawling vines. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a golden glow over the landscape. For a moment, everything felt perfect, as though the past few days had been a dream.

But then, as her thoughts returned to the evening before, the warmth she’d felt during the dinner began to fade. Mary’s words about Ethan echoed in her mind. This place has missed your spark. And so has Ethan.

She didn’t know what to make of it. Ethan had always been there—always been a part of her life. But now that she was back, things felt different. More complicated. The attraction between them was undeniable but was it enough to bring them back together after everything that had happened?

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

“Come in,” she called, half-expecting to see Sophia, who had been her constant companion since arriving back in Sonoma. Instead, Ethan stepped inside, his presence filling the room like a familiar weight.

“I thought you might be up,” he said, his voice low and warm. “Your mom told me you’ve been working on ideas for the storytelling sessions. Can we talk?”

Isabella nodded, gesturing toward the small table by the window. “Sure. Have a seat.”

Ethan pulled out a chair, sitting across from her. His gaze lingered on her for a moment, his eyes studying her with an intensity she couldn’t quite place.

“I just wanted to say…” Ethan began, then paused, clearly searching for the right words. “I know we haven’t exactly had the chance to talk, but I appreciate what you’re doing for the festival. It’s more than just a job for you, isn’t it? You’ve really put your heart into it.”

Isabella swallowed, feeling the warmth of his praise but also the weight of the unspoken words between them. “It means a lot to me,” she replied, her voice soft. “Being back here, it’s… it’s reminding me of things I forgot. Of who I am.”

Ethan nodded, his eyes softening. “I’m glad. This place has always had a way of doing that.”

There was a long silence, the air thick with the things they both wanted to say but couldn’t quite find the courage for. Finally, Ethan broke it, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Do you ever regret leaving?” he asked, looking directly at her.

Isabella’s heart skipped. She hesitated before responding, trying to grasp what Ethan meant. “Leaving? You mean New York? Or… leaving Sonoma?”

Ethan’s gaze softened. “I meant Sonoma,” he clarified. “Do you ever regret leaving this place? I know it’s been a while, and I’m just wondering if you think about it sometimes.”

Isabella’s heart twisted, and she looked down, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. Do I regret leaving?

She didn’t regret leaving New York. That place was full of bad memories. Betrayal. Heartbreak. I had to leave to rebuild myself. But Sonoma…

She didn’t regret leaving Sonoma, either. I thought I needed to find myself somewhere else. I thought distance would help me forget everything—

But now, sitting across from Ethan, she realized how much she’d missed the connection to this place. To the land, to the people, and yes, to him. The pieces of her life that had seemed so fragmented when she left were beginning to come together again.

“I don’t know,” she said finally, her voice quiet. “I thought I needed to leave, but being back here… I’m realizing how much I’ve missed it. Maybe I never really left at all. Maybe it’s just… everything else that was broken.”

Ethan didn’t respond right away, his eyes focused on her. Then, in a quiet, sincere tone, he said, “I never wanted you to leave. Not really. But I understood.”

Isabella’s heart ached at the simplicity of his words. He understood. She didn’t know how, but in that moment, she felt like he truly did. She met his gaze, feeling a surge of emotion she hadn’t expected.

“I didn’t want to leave, either,” she said, her voice shaky. “But I didn’t know how to stay. I needed to find myself.”

Ethan’s gaze softened, and for a moment, he looked as though he might reach across the table and take her hand. But instead, he leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. “You don’t have to explain yourself, Izzy. I get it. I just wish I could have been there for you.”

The pain in his words hit her like a wave, and for the first time, Isabella realized how much she had missed him—not just as a friend, but as someone who understood her in ways no one else did.

“I’m sorry, Ethan,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Ethan shook his head. “You didn’t hurt me. We both just… took different paths.”

Silence filled the room again, but this time it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was a pause—an understanding, unspoken, but felt by both of them.

“I think we’ve both changed,” Isabella said quietly, her heart racing. “But maybe that’s not such a bad thing.”

Ethan smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling with warmth. “Maybe it isn’t.”

As they sat in the quiet, Isabella’s phone buzzed loudly, interrupting the moment. Startled, she glanced at the screen and saw David’s name flashing on the display. Her chest tightened. For the past few days, she had been rejecting his calls, not knowing how to face him, especially when her heart was so conflicted.

Before she could stop herself, she hit the “reject” button, but the moment wasn’t lost on Ethan. His gaze flicked to the phone, and his brows furrowed slightly.

“Everything okay?” he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

Isabella glanced at the phone again, her thoughts momentarily clouded with a rush of anger. David. He had cheated on her. And yet, here he was, calling again as though nothing had happened. As though their entire relationship hadn’t been built on lies.

“Yes,” Isabella replied, her voice steady, though a tinge of pain flickered in her eyes. She wasn’t ready to talk about what had happened with David, not now. The wound was still too fresh, and she wasn’t sure she could explain it all without breaking. So, she put on a brave face and said nothing more.

Ethan’s face softened, but he didn’t press the issue. Instead, he nodded slowly, his expression understanding.

Silence settle around them, the weight of their conversation lingering in the air. As her phone buzzed again, she looked at it one last time and then powered it off.

There was no going back. Only moving forward.

And for the first time in a long while, Isabella was ready to listen to her heart.