"There's something I have to tell you..."

For weeks the tiny fishing village had been aflame with rumors about the mysterious stranger who walked the beaches every day.

Why had he come? What was he after? Only Marie had broken through the reserve he had wrapped around himself like protective armor.

"It's a long story," he said quietly. "A story I didn't want to tell anyone, especially you."

When he had finished, Marie could not hold back her tears. She wept for him, and for the townsfolk. />
But mostly ... for herself.