Rebirth Into My Second Chance

Chapter 208

Hand in hand, we strolled along the beach, the vastness of waves crashing against the shore and the salty sea breeze brushing against our faces enveloping us in its embrace. "Max, can you swim?" Before he could even respond, I playfully pushed him into the ocean.

But in that moment he fell, he grabbed my hand, pulling me into the waves with him.

I couldn't swim, struggling and swallowing mouthfuls of seawater until he pulled me up, "Trying to play tricks on me?"

I shook my head, it was just a jest.

"Wanna try surfing?" Max suggested just as Helen came running over with a surfboard in hand.

"I can't," I replied, touching the salty residue on my face. But as I stood there with my feet soaked in the seawater, it felt like all the pressure in my heart was washing away. "Surfing's an adrenaline rush, one way I de-stress. I'll teach you."

Saying so, he led me into the sea, and onto the surfboard. Clinging onto him in fear initially, I soon realized he had everything under control.

The bigger the wave, the more thrilling the ride.

From fear to joy, riding with and against the waves, it was an experience of letting go and freeing one's mind.

"Got the hang of it?"

swim. I'm

my next mission is to teach you how to swim,

I knew how to swim. I remembered wanting to help during a flood, but the overwhelming waters had me too scared to act. I was always

on it, saying he'd teach me to swim was probably his way of teaching

discovered new facets of myself, learning to

heal without prejudice, to embrace courage, to believe

"Max, thank you."

embracing each other, reveling in

you too. Tracey was

stronger. But by the time I was ready, the orphanage had changed, and you had vanished. When I found you again, your eyes were full of Claude, and I was so jealous. But I was

tiptoed, pulling his face closer and kissed

He was my band-aid.

I was

were to heal and

sea and the sweetness of our

I barely remembered how Max carried me ashore, only to wake up in dry clothes, lying quietly in the grand Hilton family mansion. Opening my eyes, my mind was

Closing them, my thoughts

homeless elders in Elmwood Springs, their lost homes,

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