A decade after heartbreak drove them apart, Robson and Natalie find themselves back in the small coastal town of Florence, bound by fate and family. Robson, now a doctor, is tasked with treating Natalie's mother, Teresa, whose cancer diagnosis forces both of them to confront their shared past. Natalie, having left behind a high-powered career in New York, returns to care for her mother, only to come face-to-face with the man who once shattered her heart. As old wounds resurface and long-buried emotions simmer, Robson and Natalie must navigate the delicate balance between duty and desire. But with Teresa's health hanging in the balance and their lives at a crossroads, can they find a way to heal the scars of the past?
Chapter 1 The visit
Mr. Robson "Hello there, Mr. Andrew." I greeted him with a smile as one of my favorite patients shuffled into my office. His trusty cane tapped out a rhythmic hello against the tiles. "How are you feeling today?" "Oh, not so good," he replied with his trademark candor, plopping down into the chair like it had insulted him. "This cough won't leave me alone, my throat feels like I swallowed a cactus, and don't get me started on my back-it's protesting louder than my ex-wife at alimony hearings." I chuckled softly as he began his litany of complaints.
He had a way of turning misery into stand-up comedy. Still, I only half-listened. After years of knowing him, I'd learned to separate the dire from the dramatic. Mr. Andrew wasn't just here for a doctor's opinion. No, this was his social hour, his connection to the outside world. And I got it. Many of my older patients treated the waiting room like a community hub. Part of me wanted to establish a café or a club for them, somewhere cozy and harmless where they could chat and debate the daily news-anywhere but my office. "All right," I said with a grin, gesturing toward the examination table. "Let's run a few checks. How about you tell me how that book of yours is coming along while I take your blood pressure?" His face lit up at the mention of his novel. "Oh, Doctor! It's really coming together. Picture this-an intrepid hero, a femme fatale, and a treasure map! It's got action, romance, suspense-everything. Guaranteed bestseller!" As I wrapped the cuff around his arm, he launched into a breathless summary of his plot, complete with dramatic hand gestures and impromptu dialogue. I nodded, inserting an occasional "Hmm" or "Sounds brilliant!" at strategic intervals. Honestly, it sounded more like a spaghetti western than a literary masterpiece, but who was I to crush his dreams? "Of course," he added with a sigh, "if I'd won the lottery last night, I wouldn't need to fuss about this book at all, now would I?" "Ah, the lottery," I said, laughing as I recorded his vitals. "The great equalizer. I suppose we've all got our fingers crossed for that magic ticket." "If I'd won," he continued, his eyes twinkling with mischief, "I'd buy myself a private island. No doctors, no appointments, just me, a hammock, and maybe a few coconuts. What about you? What's your dream?" The question caught me off guard. My dream wasn't extravagant-just the chance to pay off my debts, lift the weight off my shoulders. But there wasn't much magic in that answer, so I improvised. "Well," I said, pretending to ponder, "I'd probably open a place just for patients like you-a cozy café with free tea and biscuits, a trivia corner, and maybe even bingo night. Call it the Hypochondria Hub." He laughed so hard it turned into a coughing fit, which had me momentarily concerned. But as I handed him a glass of water, he winked. "Not a bad idea, Doc. Just make sure the bingo prizes are something good-none of that cheap chocolate!"
Chapter 1 The visit
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Chapter 2 The Weight Of Giving
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Chapter 3 Distraction And Disclosure
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Chapter 4 Escaping the storm
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Chapter 5 The End of An Era
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Chapter 6 Some places are better left a memory
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Chapter 7 The Dockside Distraction
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Chapter 8 No Strings, No Worries
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Chapter 9 Facing the past
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Chapter 10 Unpacking the past
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Chapter 11 Ghost of the past
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Chapter 12 Unwelcome Reunion
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Chapter 13 Home coming
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Chapter 14 Back to Where it All Began
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Chapter 15 Old Friends, New Lives
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Chapter 16 The Weight of the Truth
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Chapter 17 Unfinished Business
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Chapter 18 A Friend To Lean On
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Chapter 19 Crossing Paths
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Chapter 20 Collision Course
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Chapter 21 A Walk Down Memory Lane
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Chapter 22 A decade Apart
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Chapter 23 Rekindled Fire
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Chapter 24 The Morning After
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Chapter 25 The weight of past
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Chapter 26 Facing The Past
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Chapter 27 Memories that linger
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Chapter 28 Unraveling the past
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Chapter 29 Second Chances
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Chapter 30 A long shot
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Chapter 31 Breaking point
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Chapter 32 Bitter taste of Memories
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Chapter 33 The Weight of a billion
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Chapter 34 A Formality
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Chapter 35 A New start
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Chapter 36 Fear of secret unraveling
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Chapter 37 Gossip
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Chapter 38 A New Date
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Chapter 39 Clearing the air
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Chapter 40 Truth to unveil
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