It’s been a while
Diana looked out the window as the seaplane nears the island. The weather was getting nice with clearing skies. She leaned over and gazed out the window with one hand touching the glass. She was overwhelmed in joy seeing the perfect view from above. Her eyes glimmered in excitement and her lips curved as she admired the crystalline turquoise waters and pristine white sand beach surrounding the island. The outstanding view of nature alone calmed her mind. "I should have went to the beach more often", she whispered.
Noticing Diana's reaction, the young pilot circled above a couple of times for Diana to see the whole island's beauty. Apart from the main building of the resort, she noticed a swimming pool, a stable with a fence, and five separated villas connected with road trails. From a distance, she could tell that the establishments were in natural palette that complimented the sea and the jungle. There were also overwater bungalows on the seaside. She noticed one overwater bungalow near one of the biggest villas, which was particularly secluded. 'Must be quiet and perfect for sunsets', she assumed.
Diana gasped as the pilot prepared to descend. She clasped her hands on the arm seat when she felt the seaplane touched the sea. The second that the seaplane stopped at the dock, the pilot unfastened his seatbelt and stood up. "The attendant will assist you to the reception Ms. Woodsworth, I hope you enjoyed the view from up there", reaching his hand to Diana for a handshake and smiling eagerly. Diana nodded and simply smiled. She was hesitant to shake hands with the pilot, thinking that her mother have always reminded her not to do so with random men, unless it's her patients. The pilot was left hanging and started to feel awkward. When he was about to withdraw his hand, Diana removed her sunglasses suddenly grabbed and shook his hands with both of her hands. The young pilot was startled and instantly blushed staring at her tender face and glistening sapphire eyes. His VIP passenger is truly a beauty and holding her cold and soft hands made his heart pound even more.
"It was a smooth ride, thank you for letting me admire the view longer", Diana said as she let go of the pilot and put her sunglasses back on. 'I'm here as Diana Woodsworth, and not as a splitting image of my mother', she thought and not regretting her gesture. The young pilot stood upright like stone and was left dumbfounded inside the plane. When he came to his senses, Diana was already out. He immediately went out and shouted, "The pleasure is mine, Ms. Woodsworth!", waving happily to his enchanting passenger.
Diana just waved her hand goodbye and was then led to the hotel reception. She carefully walked down the stone slates leading to the 3-storey hotel. The luxurious hotel had a modern exterior with large panels of glass windows. It has an explicit floor marble, and high ceiling with crystal chandeliers. She was greeted by the staff and even offered her a complimentary wine. "Good day Ms. Woodsworth! Welcome to V Luxury Resort, how's your 20-minute seaplane trip?", smiling sweetly to Diana as the other staff collected her luggage. "It was splendid, may I know which room will I stay in?", Diana asked and waved to refuse the offered wine since she doesn't drink, while the receptionist checked on her hotel reservation.
"You'll be staying in the presidential suite at the third floor of this building", the receptionist handed over the key card together with the island's map. Diana was distracted with the children running around, and guests chatting loudly in the lobby before she asked, "Can I change it? I'd like to stay in the villa in the south of the island," pushing back the key card that was being given to her.
" I apologize, Ms. Woodsworth, but the island villas are exclusive for the owners of the island. Though, the presidential suite has a nice view and excellent interiors for your comfort," the receptionist respectfully rejected Diana and smiled nervously.
"I see, how about the overwater bungalow in the far left of the island?", Diana asked in calm tone. "Oh, are you sure Ms. Woodsworth? That's a bit small compared to the presidential suite", the receptionist wondered while checking if Diana's preferred cabin is still available.
"Yes, the presidential suite might me too big for one person. Besides, it seems like its more private and perhaps the most quiet accomodation since it's the farthest one I can get", Diana insisted. After checking the room, the receptionist said, "It's still available Ms. Woodsworth, our staff will assist you there. Please let us know if you need anything", as she gave Diana her new key card. Diana went straight to her cabin led by a couple of the island staff.
As she walk toward her bungalow, the noises from the main hotel started to fade and the sound of the ocean waves lingered and soothed her mind. Since she was still wearing stilletos from her wedding making it difficult to walk in the sand, she decided to remove it and walk barefoot. The warm sand between her toes made her ticklish. She removed her yellow cardigan, spread her arms, closed her eyes and tasted the salty air. 'It's been a while', she chuckled softly.
It was a 10-minute walk from the main hotel to her overwater bungalow. The afternoon heat made her sweat, trickling down her forehead. She thanked the island staff and shut the door gently. She was right, this bungalow is peaceful with only the sound of waves and creaks of wood that can be heard. Upon entering the cabin, she was welcomed with a cozy receiving area with glass floors, a large round bed, and a terrace where you could directly admire the sunset. The windows were covered with white soft curtains that goes up and down as the wind blows. The interior is a combination of cool contemporary-tropical style with warm tones and wood. It may look small on the outside, but it's really spacious inside.
"How I wish Kate is here with me. She'd love this place", she gasped and looked for her phone to call Kate. She is probably very worried about her right now. Unfortunately, she couldn't find it anywhere. 'Probably, I left it in the car.', She pursed her lips, sighed and continued to look around.
Diana looked for the bathroom to freshen up. As she opened the french doors, she was heartened to see a victorian bath tub in the middle of the bathroom, a large mirror and a glass enclosure shower area. The white walls and warm wood gave away a homey and relaxing feeling. "Lovely, time to soak and wash the madness away", as she fill up the tub with water.