Bittersweet Moments

Returning home, an unexpecting pregnancy, and an end-of-life circumstance bring plenty of bittersweet moments for the Hamilton family.

Jules needed a fresh start, that’s why she moved halfway across the world to attend college in Seoul. What she didn’t need was to get pregnant. Being pregnant was not part of the plan, neither was finding her Prince Charming. But when her happily ever after turns out not to be who he says he is, Jules is left heartbroken and jaded. Left with no one else to turn to but her mother, Cora, Jules finds herself heading back to the US to the coastal town of Oak Harbor. She’s dreading the looks of disappointments and questions that she knows will be waiting for her. When her ex shows up unannounced, she receives new and shocking information that makes her question everything.

Cora is also struggling to accept that she is about to lose another parent in such a short period of time along with her youngest daughter being pregnant and secretive about who the father is. Why is all of this happening now? She was just settling into her new life after a nasty divorce— still it seems the fates are not through with her yet. Her doubts put her relationship with Jamie to the test and she calls for a pause to deal with her family problems.

There is a lot to unpack. Read to find out if Cora and Jules are able to resolve their issues and rebuild their relationship. Will Cora come to accept losing the woman that she has loved so much and give in to love without hesitation? Will Jules get her happily ever after?

Lose yourself in this new women's fiction series that includes friendship, love, and loss among the Hamilton family & friends. A heartwarming cast of characters that has the backdrop of Oak Harbor’s coastal serene landscapes and crystal blue waters.

Five months ago

“Oh thank God.” Jules hurriedly pushed open the glass door of the restaurant and stepped inside. She peeled the coat from her body while resisting the urge to shake her head like a dog to get rid of the water dripping from her hair. The perfectly formed blond ringlets were completely gone, and her hair clumped to the sides of her head like a wet newspaper. If only she’d paid better attention to the icons the small Asian woman on the television had been pointing to during the weather news back at the apartment, she wouldn’t have left without an umbrella. However, she was happy to be inside, where it was warm and dry while the rain continued to beat menacingly against the pavement, the roofs, and the awnings of the buildings.

After hanging her coat by the rack at the door, she kicked off her Chucks and placed them on the shoe rack. Spotting her friends at the far corner of the restaurant, she made a beeline for them.

“There she is. The woman of the hour,” her best friend Katie greeted with a wide grin. All eyes were turned to her.

Jules gave her friends an apologetic smile as she sat on the floor and folded her legs. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

“We were beginning to think you’d never show,” Kylie, who was more Katie’s friend than Jules’s, said with what Jules could only describe as feigned concern.

“I got caught in the rain,” she explained, averting her gaze to look at the various dishes lining the circumference of the table. It all looked very appetizing and smelled even better from the aromas hitting her nose. Her belly grumbled with need. But, just as quickly as the desire came to sample the food, it went with the feeling of wanting to vomit.

“You should try the Galbitang. It’s really good,” Stephen, another one of her friends, suggested, distracting her from her troublesome feelings.

“Okay, I’ll go with that first, then,” Jules agreed, accepting the bowl of beef soup he offered to her. She quickly took a few sips and mewled in satisfaction at the warmth filling her empty stomach as the rich, hearty soup made its way down her throat.

“I still can’t believe we’re almost done with our degrees,” Samantha, the final person at their table, beamed.

“Yeah,” Katie agreed. “Just think about it. Next February, we will be holders of bachelor’s in international relations going on to do great things at the UN as ambassadors and making this world a better place,” she finished in a diplomatic tone.

The group of friends looked at each other knowingly before bursting into laughter.

“We’d be lucky to fill the volunteer positions, let alone become ambassadors,” Samantha chimed in with a shake of her head. The others nodded in agreement.

“Oh come on, guys. I know that we’re more than capable of doing exactly what we set out to do. There’s no way we’re going to allow anything to get in our way of achieving our goal,” Jules countered. “Look at where we are now,” she continued, arms wide open.

“A restaurant?” Katie asked, her brows scrunched up in confusion.

“No, silly. I was talking about the fact that we are here in Seoul because we believed we could study anywhere to be great. Even when they said there would be too much of a language barrier, we didn’t listen. We came, and we conquered, and we loved it. For that reason, the future is definitely looking bright.”

“Here, here—”

“Here.”

Jules’s group of friends all agreed in unison as they raised the small glasses of yakju to their lips and finished it off in one go.

“Cheers to an August of fun,” Katie added while the others grinned and nodded in agreement.

Jules’s smile turned into a grimace as the uneasy feeling resurfaced with a vengeance. She put her hand over her mouth as she hurriedly rose from the table and headed for the bathroom. The moment she entered the stall, she fell to the floor as the contents of the meal forcibly exited her mouth into the toilet bowl. She spent the next two minutes retching, waiting for the urge to vomit and the feeling of dizziness to subside. When she was sure that it was over, she slowly got to her feet and made her way to the sink to rinse her mouth. She took in her appearance in the mirror and cringed.

Her face looked pallid and clammy all at once, and her bedraggled hair made it even worse. Sighing tiredly, she turned on the tap and ran water into her cupped palms before splashing the cool liquid over her feverish skin. After a few more splashes, she patted her face dry with the hand towel from the dispenser. She proceeded to make her way back to the table.

“How are you feeling?” Katie asked the minute she sat down.

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