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Fly, Butterfly

Page 27

by Annicken R. Day


  “There’s an Archibald Hatchett in the group. Is that who I think it is?”

  I grinned. I’d known it was a long shot, but I’d still sent him the invitation a few months ago and had been surprised when he’d signed up.

  If Mr. Hatchett was open to the experiences of chill, connect, and create, he might inspire other “dinosaurs” to do the same, which gave me a lot of hope for the future.

  Ruth had also accepted my invitation and would be arriving on the same plane as Mr. Hatchett. Even Lucy had said she would come, but only after I promised that we would be serving wine for both lunch and dinner.

  And Lisa. My dear Lisa. She had visited a few months ago, and after just one day on the island she blurted out, “OK. This is home. I’m staying.”

  A week later she went back to New York to rent out her apartment and to convince Antonio to join her. I wasn’t worried. I knew he would follow her anywhere. He was now looking at opening his own pizza place in Hanalei. I couldn’t wait for easy access to those delicious pizzas again—and the generous glasses of wine!

  Lisa would teach yoga classes and help out with the daily chores at the retreat. And since Ava was moving back to California, Lisa was offered the opportunity to take over the sunset beach yoga classes as well. Everything was falling into place so perfectly.

  I couldn’t wait to see Mr. Hatchett doing downward dog in the sand, learning about perspectives and illusions, and discussing life and the future of business around the bonfire on the beach.

  A corporate spring was definitely coming.

  It was starting to get dark when Lani and I walked slowly, arm in arm, toward our cars.

  “I met Noah’s teacher yesterday,” Lani said. “She told me how well things are going with him and how amazed she is at how well he has handled everything. She said he looks calmer and happier and that he has even started speaking up in class.”

  “I know. I was so happy to hear that. He’s such a brave little boy. I am so proud of him.”

  “Me too,” Lani nodded. “So, have you told him yet?”

  I shook my head and smiled. “We got the papers in the mail yesterday. We are telling him tonight.”

  Lani had tears in her eyes. “He will be so happy. He loves you guys so much.”

  “And we love him more than I ever thought possible. Thank you for bringing him to us that night. From the moment he walked in our door, I knew I wanted him to stay forever.”

  I gave Lani a big hug. We both cried a little. Happy tears.

  “What are you hanging around here for?” Lani laughed through her tears. “Go home to those adorable boys of yours and give them both a hug for me.”

  I smiled and blew her a kiss before I jumped in my car and drove home.

  I parked the Jeep on the lawn behind our house, the same place I had parked the first time I came to the North Shore five years ago. William and little Noah were in the kitchen with their backs toward me, stirring something on the stove. Noah was looking up at William as they talked and laughed.

  Soft music was playing in the background. The large French doors facing the ocean were wide open. It was the most beautiful thing, the sound of the waves mixed with the music and the soft voices of the two loves of my life.

  The house was almost unrecognizable from the first time I stayed there, but I had insisted that we keep the wooden floors, the stove, and the pineapple-shaped lamps.

  After George’s passing, William had sold George’s house to Ray and Hank, who used it as their vacation home. Noah had already become best friends with Tom and Tara and couldn’t wait for them to come back.

  “Hey, what’s for dinner, guys?” I said, and they both turned around and ran toward me. The next thing I knew, I was covered in kisses.

  After dinner, we went down to the beach, as we did every night, to wave goodnight to all our friends among the stars.

  Noah told his mom about his day and said that he missed her, but that she needn’t worry, because he was safe and loved being here with us.

  The three of us were lying on a blanket on the beach. My head was resting on William’s arm, Noah was tucked in between us, and we were all holding hands.

  A shooting star suddenly lit up the sky, and I whispered to Noah, “Make a wish. Make a wish.”

  I silently wished him happiness, freedom, and a beautiful life beyond his wildest dreams.

  “I wish I could fly like a butterfly!” Noah exclaimed.

  I squeezed his little hand. “Oh, but you can, my darling.”

  “How?” he asked.

  I smiled in the dark and turned my head toward him.

  “All you need to do is to spread your wings,” I whispered in his ear.

  “But how?” he asked and turned his little head toward me.

  “Like this!” I said and jumped up on my feet and started running around on the beach, my arms out, shouting, “I’m a butterfly! I’m a butterfly!”

  Soon Noah and William joined me.

  And as we danced and jumped around in the sand, with the millions of shining stars smiling down on us, we lifted our little butterfly boy high up in the air, so he could feel what it was like, to be free to fly.

  THANK YOU

  Writing this book has been such an inspired, emotional, challenging, but most of all joyful experience. If you have enjoyed reading it nearly half as much as I have enjoyed writing it, my hopes and dreams for this book have already come true. Thank you, dear reader, for reading.

  The book has taken some time to write, and like many other writers, I have struggled with self-doubt, procrastination, and lack of focus from time to time. I can’t emphasize enough how much other people’s confidence in me and my book idea has impacted the final outcome. In fact, without that support, I doubt there would have been a book for me to give thanks for.

  Thank you for your support, “loving criticism”, and unwavering belief in me, Gunn Haglund, Kathrine Aspaas, Liz Dadanian, Patricia Stang Auseth, Tove M. Helgaker, Trude H. Shelby, and my brother, Gisle Rød. You have all been invaluable to me in this process, and you are all invaluable to me in my life.

  Thank you Anita Krohn Traaseth, Brad Keimach, Christina Tracy, Dawn Brown, El Herrington, Erika Ilves, Estere Mezzetti, Jason Angelus, Maria Tibblin, Mikael Hansson, Per H. Kogstad, Sarah Stennett, Sigridur Hannesdottir, Sinisha Buzunovic, Snorre Kjesbu, and Jacquie Lee who in ways you may know, or not even be aware of, have inspired the book.

  Thank you to my Corporate Spring team and everyone else who tirelessly works to make the corporate world a better place, and for those who provide research and studies that show the benefits of it.

  A special big thanks to Adam Grant, who not only inspires through his work but also through his incredible generosity of spirit.

  I also want to send thanks to everyone who, in one way or another, has inspired the stories and the characters in this book. While it certainly is fiction, it is no secret that it has been inspired by many true events and people. However, any similarities with real-life people or situations (except from a few, who have given me their permission) are purely coincidental. Promise.

  Thank you to the Greenleaf Publishing team for helping me turn my first draft into a real book; Daniel Sandoval for finding and believing in me; Diana Ceres, April Murphy, Jessica Choi, and Elizabeth Brown for their excellent editing; Daniel Pederson for skillfully managing the project; and Neil Gonzales for the awesome cover art.

  Thank you Kaua’i, Bali Ha’i, and the creators of South Pacific for inspiring the story, and thank you, Mom and Dad, for cheering me on from your place among the stars. Thank you for all the butterflies too.

  Finally, my deepest gratitude goes to my most favorite person in the whole wide world—my source of unconditional love and inspiration, my joy, my light, my sparring partner, and biggest supporter. The wise, brave, and beautiful soul who is traveling on this journey with me and who already is spreading her own wings, getting ready to fly.

  My daughter, my best friend, my own Bu
tterfly Girl.

  Matilde, this book is for you.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  As a young girl growing up in Norway, Annicken R. Day fell in love with old Hollywood movies, especially the musical South Pacific from 1958. When she visited the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i thirty years later, she learned by coincidence that South Pacific had been filmed there and that the mystical island of Bali Ha’i indeed existed. That was when the idea for the story about Maya Williams first came to her, a story inspired by Annicken’s own life and experiences, and by people—and butterflies—she has met on her journey.

  After fifteen years as a leader and executive in the IT industry, Annicken jumped off the corporate treadmill in 2012 to start her own company, Corporate Spring, with a mission to make the corporate world a happier place. Since then she and her team have helped and trained thousands of leaders around the world on how to build thriving corporate cultures, high performing teams, and successful businesses.

  Annicken is the founder and CEO of Corporate Spring, co-author of the book Creative Superpowers, public speaker, executive advisor, and a passionate maverick for new ways of thinking, working, and leading in the new world of work.

  Annicken spends the majority of her time between Oslo, London, and Los Angeles, where also her singer-songwriter daughter Matilde Redbridge lives.

  Fly, Butterfly is Annicken R. Day’s first novel.

  Learn more about the author at www.annickenday.com.

 

 

 


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