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Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to Romance Weekly. This episode is titled
Back to School, Part four, New Beginnings.
Speaker 2: The January chill hung in the air as Sarah stood
in the school parking lot watching Lily bounce excitedly towards
her classroom. The holiday break was over and a new
year stretched before them, full of possibilities and uncertainties. Penny
for your thoughts, Jack's warm voice broke through her reverie.
Sarah turned a smile spreading across her face at the
sight of him, just thinking about how much has changed
since last year's back to school day. Jack nodded his eyes, twinkling.
Who would have thought a dropped hair ribbon could lead
to all this? They shared a laugh, the ease of
their connection a stark contrast to the nervous energy of
their first meeting. As they walked towards their cars, Jack
cleared his throat, So I've been thinking, he began, a
hint of nervousness in his voice. Valentine's Day is coming up,
and I know it's not everyone's favorite holiday, but I
was wondering if maybe you'd like to do something special
just the two of us. Sarah felt a flutter in
her stomach. They'd been dating for a few months now,
but they'd yet to have a real grown up date
without the kids. That sounds wonderful, she said, trying to
keep the excitement out of her voice. What did you
have in mind? Jack's face lit up. Well. I thought
maybe we could drive up to that little bed and
breakfast in the mountains, the one with the amazing view
of the life. We could spend the weekend there, just relaxing,
and he trailed off, a blush creeping up his neck.
Sarah felt her own cheeks heat up as she realized
the implication they hadn't taken that step in their relationship yet,
both of them cautious about moving too fast. I'd love that,
Sarah said, softly, reaching out to squeeze his hand. As
she drove to work. Sarah's mind was a whirlwind of emotions,
excitement about the upcoming trip mixed with anxiety about taking
this next step with Jack, and underneath it all and
nagging guilt about leaving Lily for a whole weekend. Her
phone buzzed with a text from Megan Spilett Johnson. I
saw that goofy smile on your face this morning. What's
Jack got planned? Sarah chuckled, quickly typing back, dinner tonight.
I'll tell you everything that evening. Over glasses of wine
and plates of passes, Sarah filled Megan in on Jack's
Valentine's Day plans. It's about time, Megan exclaimed. You two
have been dancing around this for months. But Sarah, honey,
are you sure you're ready? Sarah sighed, twirling past her
around her fork. I think so. I mean, I care
about Jack a lot, and I trust him. It's just
it's been so long, you know, and there's Lily to
think about. Meghan reached across the table, squeezing Sarah's hand.
Lily adores Jack and you know it. And as for
the rest, you deserve to be happy, Sarah, to feel
loved and desired. Don't let fear hold you back. Sarah nodded,
feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. Meghan was right.
It was time to embrace this new chapter in her life.
The weeks leading up to Valentine's Day flew by in
a blur of work, school activities, and preparations for the trip.
Sarah arranged for Lily to stay with her grandparents, trying
to quell the guilt with promises of a special mother
daughter day when she returned. Finally, the day arrived. As
Jack loaded their bags into his car, Sarah felt a
mix of nervousness and excitement bubbling up inside her. Ready
for an adventure, Jack asked, his smile, warm and reassuring.
Sarah took a deep breath and nodded, Ready as I'll
ever be. The drive up to the mountains was beautiful,
the winter landscape gradually giving way to snow capped peaks
and pristine forests. They chatted easily, singing along to the
radio and sharing stories from their week. As they pulled
up to the charming bed and breakfast, Sarah felt her
nerves return full force. Jack must have sensed her tension
because he reached over and took her hand. Hey, he said, softly,
We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with.
This weekend is about us spending time together, nothing more.
Sarah felt a rush of her affection for this man
who seemed to always know exactly what she needed to hear.
Thank you, she said, leaning over to kiss him softly.
The weekend was magical. They went for long walks in
the snow, had romantic dinners by candlelight, and spent hours
talking by the fireplace in their cozy room. Sarah found
herself opening up to Jack in ways she hadn't with
anyone since her divorce, sharing her hopes, fears, and dreams
for the future. On their last night, as they slow
danced in their room to the soft strains of an
old love song, Sarah felt something shift inside her. The
last of her reservations melted away as she looked into
Jack's eyes and saw the love and devotion reflected there. Jack,
she whispered, her heart pounding, I'm ready. Their love making
was tender and passionate, a beautiful culmination of the connection
they'd been building for months. Afterwards, as they lay tangled
in each other's arms, Sarah felt a sense of peace
she hadn't experienced in years. I love you, Jack murmured,
pressing a kiss to her forehead, Sarah's heart's sword. I
love you too, she replied, the words coming easily and
naturally as they drove back home the next day, Sarah
felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
She was excited to see Lily, to hug her daughter
and hear about her weekend, but she was also excited
about the future stretching out before her, a future that
now included Jack. When they pulled up to Sarah's house,
they were surprised to see Lily and Ethan playing in
the front yard, supervised by Sarah's parents mom Jack. Lily
called out, running to greet them. Did you have a
good trip? Ethan and I had the best time? Can
we have a sleep over next weekend? Sarah laughed, hugging
her daughter close. Slow down, sweetie, Let's get inside and
you can tell us all about your weekend. As they
all piled into the house, Sarah caught Jack's eye over
the kid's excited chatter. He was smiling at her, his
eyes full of love and promise. Later that night, after
the kids were in bed and Jack had gone home,
Sarah sat on her porch reflecting on the whirlwind of
the past year. She thought about that first day of school,
about the nervous single mum she'd been then. So much
had changed, but the most important things her love for Lily,
her strength, her capacity for joy had only grown stronger.
Her phone buzzed with a text from Jack. Thank you
for an amazing weekend. I can't wait to see what
adventures we'll have next. Sweet dreams, my love. Sarah smiled,
her heart full. The future was still uncertain. There would
be challenges to face, obstacles to overcome, but for the
first time in a long time, she was excited about
what lay ahead. As she headed to bed, Sarah paused
to look at the family photos lining the hallway. There
was space there, she realized, for new pictures, new memories,
new beginnings, and with Jack and Ethan in their lives,
she and Lily were ready to start creating them.
Speaker 1: Romance Weekly is a production of Calaroga Shark Media executive
producers Mark Francis and John McDermott. Portions of this podcast
may have been created with the assistance of
Speaker 2: AI Calaroga Shark Media