TRAILS OF THE HEART
Later that evening, after Ethan and the three ladies had finished talking by the bay, they all began walking home together.
One by one, each of the girls turned down the road that led to their houses.
Tiffany left first, waving goodbye with her usual cheerful smile.
Rose soon followed, heading down the path that led toward her father's home near the oil factory.
That left Luna and Ethan walking together.
Luna's house happened to be closer to the mayor's residence where Ethan was staying, so they continued down the quiet road side by side.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Ethan suddenly stopped.
"Luna," he said softly.
She turned to face him.
"I wanted to ask you something," he continued. "About Rose."
Luna looked surprised.
Ethan hesitated before speaking again.
"Does she have any… bad habits? Anything I should know?"
Luna frowned slightly.
She could have said many things—little flaws, small annoyances—but she didn't.
Instead, she simply shook her head.
"Rose is kind," Luna replied. "She has a good heart."
Ethan studied her expression carefully.
The fact that Luna refused to say anything negative about her own friend made him trust her even more.
From that moment on, his thoughts about Luna began to change.
The very next day, Ethan made a surprising announcement to the entire town.
Standing beside the mayor in the town square, he spoke loudly so everyone could hear.
"In three months," Ethan declared, "I will choose a wife."
The crowd fell silent.
"The woman I grow to like the most will be the one I choose."
For a moment, no one moved.
Then whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire.
Mothers turned toward their daughters. Friends looked at each other with suspicion.
What had once been a peaceful town suddenly felt like a battlefield.
Women who once greeted each other warmly now looked at one another as rivals. Every mother began preparing her daughter, hoping she would be the one Ethan would choose.
That night, Ethan sat alone on the couch in the mayor's house, thinking deeply.
His mind kept returning to the same thought.
Luna.
She was different from the others.
Of course, everyone in Walsvile was kind and welcoming. But something about Luna made him feel a way he had never felt before.
He wasn't sure if it was admiration… curiosity… or something more.
And he wanted to be certain it wasn't simply kindness or gratitude confusing his feelings.
Later that night, Ethan spoke with the mayor.
"I have an idea," he said.
He suggested holding a grand feast beneath the old oak tree in the town center. A celebration where everyone could gather—and where he could observe the people of Walsvile more closely before making his final decision.
The mayor agreed.
The very next morning, the announcement spread throughout the town.
There would be a great party that evening.
As the day passed, the entire town prepared.
By sunset, the streets were filled with people dressed in their finest clothes. Mothers proudly walked beside their daughters as though they were presenting them to a king.
Everyone hoped their daughter might be the one chosen.
Rose wore a beautiful dress of pink and purple.
Tiffany arrived in a bold red gown that matched her confident personality.
And Luna…
Luna wore black.
Simple.
Elegant.
And quietly striking.
All three of them looked stunning.
But the question remained the same in everyone's mind.