My feet sliced through the air, my hair blew in the wind.

Free. I felt free.

He had been right. Riding a bicycle, exploring this amazing island that I hoped to call home filled my heart with joy. I was delighted. I almost never took any time for myself. Sure, I’d indulge in a nice dinner after I’d won a competition or occasionally take in a movie with my teammates, but I never would just take a full day off and relax.

It was so much more than learning to ride a bicycle—it was a new way of life. I imagined living here. Maybe one day I’d settle down, possibly with Erik. Having our kids ride their bikes on the trails and spend their days at the beach.

And in my fantasy, I was happy.

Then why did I feel like the other shoe was about to drop?

Shaking off my worries, I just focused on having fun. Everything would work out the way it was meant to. We bought ice cream cones near the ferry, and I smiled at the children playing in the sand.

Emboldened by my new-found joy, I decided to ask Erik whatever I wanted, without being afraid that I would sound too forward.

“Do you want to have kids?”

“Of course I do. No time soon though. I deploy so much that I want to be around so I can spend time with my family. My dad was so involved.”

I placed my hand on his bicep. “Your sister told me about your father. I’m so sorry. That must’ve been rough.”

He looked up at me, blinking rapidly. “Yeah, it was brutal. He was a great man. My role model. I just miss him.” He turned to me. “What about you? I know nothing about your family.”

I winced. This was my fault; I had walked into this line of questioning. I was still too afraid to tell him I’d joined the Navy, but I vowed to be truthful with the rest of my life.

“Not much to tell. My mom had me when she was really young. She never told my father that she was pregnant. I never met him.”

Erik’s head flinched back slightly. “Does he know you exist?”

“No. He died.”

“I’m sorry. How?”

“I’ve actually never told anyone this. I just usually say he died.” I took a deep breath. Here it went. “But I want to tell you. He joined the military. Actually, he was a SEAL.”

And there it was. My secret. My truth. A fact so painful that I forced myself not to think about it. My father had been a SEAL. He had been killed in a helicopter crash.

And I wanted to be a SEAL. To be closer to him. To make him proud. We shared the same DNA. If he could make it, then why couldn’t I?

Erik’s eyes bugged. “No way. For real? What was his name?”

“Matthew Presley.” Saying his name out loud for the first time in forever made him seem real.

“Wow. I didn’t know you were a Frog Princess. You clearly share his drive. No man can graduate from BUD/S without being dedicated.”

I sighed. “I’d like to think he was. I feel closer to him than ever since I’ve been in Coronado. Like he must’ve been at this shore, maybe shared an ice cream cone here. Meeting you has been such a blessing. I want to believe he was like you.”

He reached out and grasped my fingers. “Baby, if you want, I can look him up. I’m sure I can find someone who served with him. Being a SEAL is like being in the most exclusive fraternity in the world.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that.” I swallowed a lump in my throat. “Maybe someday but I’m not ready yet. My mom never talks about him. All I know is that they were high school sweethearts, he enlisted in the Navy, and then she found out she was pregnant. I guess he wrote her, but she never responded. By the time I started asking about him, he was dead. I’ve wanted to reach out to his family, but they don’t even know I exist.”

He pulled me into his arms and rested his forehead against mine. “You should. They’d be so proud of you. I’d be happy to go with you to meet them.”

I felt as if my chest was expanding, taking in his warmth and love. I cupped his face with my hands. “You’re such a great guy, Erik. No matter what happens with us, I want you to know how much you’ve touched me.”

“I want to touch you now. Let’s go, champ. I’ve missed you all week.”

Maybe, he could truly be my happily ever after fairy tale prince.

As we kissed in the sand like two teenagers in love a thought filled my head. I tried to push it away, but it was a gut feeling that permeated my soul.

I was going to marry this guy.

The more I fixated on it, the more I started to believe it. I saw a path for us. He would understand my drive. He would accept me. We could be happy together.

Hell, I deserved to be happy.

And tonight, I was the happiest girl on this island.