Puerto Vallarta greets me—
           sunlit beaches,
         sand beneath feet

    that have walked this shore a thousand times.

Jonny laughs, embraces me,
    stories and smiles exchanged,
    the comfort of old friendship

    filling some of the spaces left empty by goodbyes.

My dog goes wild,
    Gitana spinning circles,
    leaping,
    barking,

    as if I'd returned from the far side of forever.

And yet,
    for all this joy,
    the waves whisper differently,
    the sand: grittier,
    clings to my feet heavier than before,

    and even the sun seems hesitant…

    as if waiting for someone who's not here.

Because somewhere else,
    her eyes are smiling,
    her laughter echoes,
    her presence lingers—

    reminding me this place,
    beautiful as it is…

    isn't where I left my heart.

I'd trade every wave,
    every sunrise,
    every familiar comfort,

    just to see her smile once more—

    to feel the warmth no sun could match,
    and a passion no waves could compete with.

Returning used to be sweet—

    but without her, everything tastes just a little bitter.