Ariana and Josiah came together as young, hungry, starry-eyed lawyers in a small southern North Carolina town. Ari, already disappointed and guarded from a failed relationship in law school, was frightened by the intense love she felt for Josiah. Rather than wait for him to break her heart, she abruptly ended the romance and shifted her focus to her career and parenting.
Josiah, heartbroken and devastated by Ariana’s sudden decision to dump him, accepted a position in Florida, leaving North Carolina and Ari behind.
Both eventually married and rose to the top in their legal careers. Ari married the person that she felt was safe to love. Josiah married the woman that he thought he had grown to love, but something was missing.
Wanting more than an empty marriage, Josiah filed for divorce, closed up his successful Florida practice, and returned to North Carolina determined to prove to Ariana that they were meant to be together.
Finally deciding to open her heart to Josiah, Ariana experienced the most fulfilling love she had ever felt. Unfortunately, Ariana’s decision to take a chance on love came at a time when her body was desperately fighting off the cancer that silently lurked for at least a year. Her impending death meant mourning the time lost, and opportunity to love, and be loved by the man that she ran away from years ago. Was the path of safety worth it?