Debra was filled with wonder and excitement about this trip. She got like this every time before a vacation--an adult version of an impatient child dying to open presents on Christmas Eve. She wondered what the villa would look like. The pictures of the place were beautiful, but there was no replacement for seeing it with her eyes. The way Connie spoke of her property, Debra's bar was set high and expected the pictures to do the place no justice. The pilot's announcement of the plane's final approach to the airport turned Debra's excitement into euphoric giddiness. Almost there.
Debra looked to the nearby seats where her friends were seated. Always the vacation architect of the group, she pushed for this trip with all of them because she could sense it could the last one they would take together. Thalia and Mathieu married two years ago, and Thalia confided in Debra that children were next on the life list with graduate school now behind them. To Debra's surprise, the new coupleโAnni and Johan, were progressing very quickly since moving in together six months ago after a short dating period. Her college friend Abby was beautiful and single, but notoriously fickle about dating men. That's why Debra was so happy to get Michael to come along, too. A little sun, fun and relaxation (Debra hoped) would finally push fickle Abby and charming Michael together into the relationship she always saw them in. Of course, Debra and her boyfriend, Roberto, were a picture of coupled bliss. Debra never adored a man as much as Roberto Diaz. Debra's vision of a perfect man used to be tall, handsome, rugged, constructed with a heart of gold...and white. Roberto showed her how easily an intelligent, well-traveled, confident Puerto Rican man could shatter that image. And what Roberto did to her body convinced her she would be lost without him. His tender touch against her skin, his soft lips on her own, his body on top of hers in the bed. Her life was Robertoโno question. She was not ashamed to tell anyone who cared to hear it, either. She had the fairy tale all mapped out: marriage to Rob in two years, then children with Rob in four and happiness ever after.