The beach house felt strangely quiet the next morning.
The laughter from the wedding and reception had faded, replaced by the sound of rolling suitcases and tired footsteps moving through the house.
Warm sunlight streamed through the windows, and the ocean shimmered in the distance as if nothing had changed.
But everything had.
Amy and Nicholas were the first to leave.
Amy stood near the front door in a white sundress, sunglasses resting on top of her head, while Nicholas loaded their luggage into the car waiting outside.
She looked happy.
Radiant.
The kind of happy that made my chest warm just looking at her.
Amy turned and hugged Daisy first.
"Don't do anything crazy while I'm gone," she said.
Daisy snorted. "That sounds like a challenge."
Amy laughed before hugging Isabelle and then me.
When she wrapped her arms around me, she held on a little longer.
"Thank you for everything," she whispered.
I smiled and hugged her back. "Go enjoy your honeymoon, Mrs. Lu."
Amy pulled away, grinning at the sound of her new name.
"I like the way that sounds."
Nicholas walked back inside and slipped an arm around her waist.
"Ready?"
Amy nodded.
Before walking out, she looked back at all of us one last time.
"Try not to miss me too much."
Daisy rolled her eyes. "Please. Just go."
Amy laughed and let Nicholas lead her outside.
We all stood at the entrance of the beach house, watching as their car disappeared down the driveway.
For a moment, none of us spoke.
Then Daisy let out a long sigh.
"Well," she said dramatically. "That was emotional."
"It really wasn't," Isabelle replied.
Daisy placed a hand over her chest. "Speak for yourself."
By noon, Daisy was ready to leave too.
A black SUV waited outside to take her to the airport.
She stood in the living room wearing oversized sunglasses, even though she wasn't outside yet, with her suitcase beside her and her phone pressed to her ear.
"Yes," she said into the phone. "Tell them I'll be in England by tomorrow morning. And no, I'm not doing the beach shoot without proper lighting."
She ended the call and slipped her phone into her purse.
"My glamorous life calls," she announced.
I laughed softly.
Daisy walked over and hugged me tightly.
"Try not to fall hopelessly in love with Harley while I'm gone."
I nearly choked. "Get on your plane."
She pulled back with a smug grin.
"So that's a yes."
Before I could argue, she moved on to hug Harley.
"Behave," she told him.
Harley raised an eyebrow. "You first."
Daisy pointed at him. "Rude."
A moment later she was gone, leaving behind only the faint scent of perfume and chaos.
Later that afternoon, Isabelle and Michael began packing the twins into the car.
Avalee threw herself at me dramatically before they left.
"Auntie Sophie, come visit us!"
"I will," I promised, smiling as I hugged her.
Alexander stood beside Harley with his arms crossed, trying very hard to look serious.
"Next time we're racing," he said.
Harley smirked. "You'll lose."
Alexander stuck his tongue out.
"No I won't."
Michael sighed and opened the back door of the car.
"Come on, you two."
Avalee hugged me one last time before running to her parents.
Alexander gave Harley a quick hug and then followed his sister into the car.
Isabelle leaned against the open door and smiled tiredly.
"Thanks for helping with them."
"They were fun," I said.
Harley looked at the twins buckling themselves in and added, "Most of the time."
Isabelle laughed.
A few minutes later, they drove off too.
The beach house fell quiet again.
That evening, the four of us sat around the dining table for dinner.
Mrs. Huang had insisted on cooking, and the smell of garlic butter and grilled fish still lingered in the air.
I sat beside Harley while Mr. Huang and Mrs. Huang sat across from us.
For a while, the conversation stayed light.
They talked about the wedding, about Amy and Nicholas, and about how beautiful Hawaii had been.
Then Mrs. Huang set her chopsticks down and looked at Harley.
"There's something your father and I want to tell you."
Harley glanced up from his plate.
"What is it?"
Mr. Huang cleared his throat.
"Your mother and I have decided to stay in Hawaii."
I blinked.
Harley's expression shifted slightly.
"For how long?" he asked.
Mrs. Huang smiled softly.
"For good."
Silence filled the room.
I looked between them, unsure if I had heard correctly.
"You mean… permanently?" I asked.
Mr. Huang nodded. "We've talked about it for a while now. After the wedding, it just felt right."
Mrs. Huang reached across the table and placed her hand over mine.
"We're getting older," she said gently. "And we want peace. This place gives us that."
My chest tightened unexpectedly.
The Huang mansion without them would feel very different.
Harley was quiet for a long moment.
Then he nodded slowly.
"If that's what makes you happy, then stay."
Mrs. Huang's eyes softened.
"It does."
Mr. Huang leaned back in his chair. "We've already started making arrangements."
Mrs. Huang squeezed my hand lightly.
"You two take good care of each other… and come visit us often."
I glanced at Harley.
For some reason, the way she said you two made warmth creep up my neck.
Harley noticed.
A faint smirk touched the corner of his mouth before he looked away.
After dinner, we helped clear the table.
The rest of the evening passed quietly.
By the time Harley and I were ready to leave for the airport, the sky had turned dark and the sound of the waves outside seemed louder than usual.
Mrs. Huang hugged us both tightly before we left.
"Travel safely," she said.
Mr. Huang patted Harley on the shoulder. "Call us when you land."
Harley nodded.
The drive to the airport was mostly quiet.
I looked out the window as the lights of Hawaii blurred past.
It felt strange leaving so soon.
The wedding had come and gone in what felt like a blink.
At the airport, Harley carried both of our bags without a single complaint.
"You know," I said as we made our way toward the gate, "I'm perfectly capable of carrying my own suitcase."
He glanced at me.
"You complain when I don't help."
I opened my mouth to argue.
Then closed it again.
He wasn't entirely wrong.
By the time we boarded the plane, exhaustion had settled deep into my bones.
I slid into my seat by the window while Harley took the one beside me.
The cabin lights dimmed as passengers continued filing in.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Harley leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
I looked out the window at the lights beyond the runway.
Soon, the plane began to move.
The city slowly drifted farther away as we taxied toward the runway.
A few minutes later, the aircraft lifted into the night sky.
Hawaii disappeared beneath the clouds.
Home.
I leaned back into my seat and closed my eyes for a moment.
The wedding was over.
The trip was over.
And somehow, it felt like something else had ended too.
When I opened my eyes again, I turned slightly toward Harley.
He was still resting quietly beside me, his expression calm in the dim cabin light.
I looked away before he could catch me staring.
Outside the window, the sky stretched endlessly into darkness.
I had no idea that when we returned home… everything was about to change.