New Beginnings

Reconnecting with her beloved son was long overdue, but could there be another cause for celebration under the Spanish sun?

-  ALEX BROWN

Beth parked her suitcase by the bed and sighed contentedly in anticipation as she opened the wooden shuttered doors leading to the hotel room balcony. The Mediterranean sun felt welcoming as she admired the majestic rise of the distant volcanic mountains, wreathed in hazy mist against a vivid blue sky.

Her gaze meandered down the winding cobbled streets of dusty pink villas with purple and white geraniums tumbling from tubs on balconies; the air scented with orange from the trees around the plaza in front of the hotel, the chime of church bells bringing back glorious memories of her honeymoon here in Spain many years ago. She and her new husband had hired a boat to indulge their shared passion for sailing, although they had spent much of the time moored in the harbour to her left, the masts visible in between the palm trees, as they made love.

Beth smiled to herself at the tender memory of the young woman she was back then – in love with life and her now ex-husband, Matt, and all the dreams and hopes they had shared. But it wasn’t to be, and they had drifted apart, remaining friends, united by the love they shared for their son, Jack. He lived in Spain now with his fiancée, and Beth was very much looking forward to seeing them tomorrow.

She had missed Jack terribly over the years since he had first left home for university, never really getting used to his absence. Caring for her elderly mother in her final years had made travelling to visit him difficult as he made his life in another country.

Spotting a traditional taverna on the far side of the plaza with rustic wooden tables outside, Beth changed out of her crumpled travelling clothes and into a floaty cotton sundress.