It was warm out and the sun shone above her. There were palm trees and large pink and purple flowers she could see as she turned around in a circle.She gawked at the nearest palm tree.What the hell just happened?Had she passed out because of the pain? Maybe she couldn’t deal with it anymore.Another thought occurred to her: Was she dead?No. Her heart was still beating. She was breathing—more rapidly with each passing moment. She could feel the tropical breeze on her skin. This had to be a dream.It felt too real to be a dream.From the corner of her eye she noticed a man approaching her. He wore white pants and a white shirt and walked steadily down the beach toward her. As he drew closer, she realized that she recognized him.“Lucas,” she managed, her voice breathless.“Glad you could make it, Eden.”“Am I dreaming right now?”“No.” He glanced at their surroundings. “This is real. I wanted to talk to you privately. I thought you might like this.”Her head hurt. She looked down at the marble sitting innocently in the palm of her hand.
