Their plane landed on the mainland next to a beautiful sea, because Sunrise Island was a very small island only accessible by boat. Katherine took a quick trip to the bathroom, and when she came back to the dock to join her friends and neighbors she saw Mike on his cell phone, standing far from the group so he could have privacy.
"I miss you too." he said quietly, as if he didn't want anyone else to hear him. "I'll see you when I get home. I gotta go...okay...okay, bye."
Mike turned, and seemed a bit surprised to see Katherine there behind him. His mind searched for a plausible explanation for the words he'd just said, and he was trying to remember if he'd said anything incriminating.
"That was MJ." he said. Katherine was smiling, but he could tell she was hiding her emotions, biting her tongue.
"How is the little guy?"
"He's good." said Mike, even though he had no idea how his son was doing. It wasn't MJ that Mike had spoken to.
"Does he miss his daddy?"
"Wouldn't you?" Mike joked, giving Katherine a quick kiss on the cheek before he walked back to the main group.
Wouldn't I? wondered Katherine. I spent all day with you, and I already do.
* * *
"Hey guys, I think I see the ferry!" said Tom to all the people waiting on the dock.
"Oh goodie." Bree muttered under her breath. "Is he going to take our coins and row us across the river to meet Cerberus?"
Mike forgot to stifle a chuckle, and he shared a cynical smile with Bree. Katherine and Orson made eye contact at that moment, and without saying a word, each knew exactly how the other felt - like unwanted baggage.
As Tom made sure everyone had their bags and was ready for departure, Gabrielle noticed Lynette standing off to the side, staring out at the water.
"Hey." Gabrielle greeted her, walking up beside her and placing a hand on her back. Lynette turned and smiled but, like Katherine, her smile did not convey happiness. "You look worried." Gabrielle told her. Lynette shrugged.
"I am." she admitted. "I just don't know how it came to this." she added, referring to the couples counseling they were headed for.
"This," said Gabrielle, gesturing to the beautiful scene before them. "Is not a case of 'how it came to this.' That's what you say when the pen is hovering over the last page of the divorce papers. If marriage counseling in paradise is what you need to get back to a happy place, then I am here for you. And not just for the sun tanning and free margaritas. You and Tom are going to make it. Carlos and I believe in you. We wouldn't be here if we didn't."
"Thank you, Gabby." Lynette whispered, emotional from her bff's words of encouragement. What she said was true; their willingness to work on their problems before giving up was a good sign. Lynette and Gabrielle looked at their other girlfriends, and they both sighed sadly. "What are we going to do with them?" Lynette lamented.
"I've been trying not to think about it." Gabrielle admitted, grimacing a little at the thought of their truly rocky relationships. "Mike still loves Susan, and Bree just looks done." As if to punctuate Gabrielle's statement, Bree crossed her arms and looked away as Orson reached for their bags. He moved toward the ferry, which had docked while Lynette and Gabrielle were talking. Bree eventually followed, but at a distance.
"Well. I'll pray for them." said Gabrielle, linking her arm in Lynette's as they made their way to the boat. "While I'm tanning and drinking my margaritas, of course."
Lynette smiled, happy Gabrielle had come along. Katherine and Orson were going to need someone's prayers.
* * *
All eight passengers couldn't help but smile as they finally arrived at their destination. All thoughts of obligation faded for a few moments when Sunrise Island came into view.
"Are those our cabanas?" asked Carlos, his eyes glued to the little huts that weren't just next to the beach, but on the beach.
"They should be." said Tom. "If the presentation we showed you was accurate."
"Don't take this the wrong way," said Carlos, putting his arm around Tom's shoulders. "But thank you sooo much for having problems with your marriage."
Tom chuckled, taking the joke well. When Carlos walked back to Gabrielle, Tom turned to Lynette to make sure she was okay.
"You ready?" he asked her softly. Lynette smiled and nodded, like she had with Gabrielle. She was worried, but willing to try. Tom leaned toward her, giving her a tender kiss on the lips. "We're gonna get through this." Tom assured her.
"Welcome." said a smooth, soothing voice as their boat slowly came to a stop at the island dock. Their host, a tall man in his early 40's, had his hands clasped behind his back, and he was dressed like a butler on vacation; relaxed, but still stuffy. Tom and Lynette disembarked first, and the man with the slow and steady, accented voice smiled as they walked toward him. "Welcome to Sunrise Island. I am Benson, and I will be your host throughout your stay at this unique resort."
The dock was underneath a thatched roof made of dried palms. The roofed pathway led to what looked like the main lobby, but their host seemed to be herding them in the other direction.
"Don't we have to check in?" Lynette wondered.
"I've already done that for you." said Benson. "The personal profiles you filled out for us prior to approval were consulted before your scheduled arrival date. Please be assured, they will remain confidential. They were only used to assign you your rooms and your counselors."
"Wait, counselors?" said Gabrielle, emphasizing the plural.
"We were under the impression that only Tom and I were getting counseling." Lynette added.
"Oh, quite the contrary." said Benson. "The sessions with your counselor are required. If you don't participate fully in our program, you will have to leave the island."
At this, there were murmurs of discomfort, betrayal and disappointment.
"Hey, guys...guys!" Tom said, loud enough to get their attention. The complaining stopped, and they all turned to look at him. "Remember what you came here for? To support your friends? Please, stay and participate. It couldn't hurt to talk to someone, would it?"
"You don't have to answer that." Lynette added quickly, for the benefit of a select few in their party. She turned to Tom, lowering her voice. "If they want to leave, we should let them leave. We're already here, we can do the program - "
"Actually," said Benson. "No, that won't be possible. Our resort is very exclusive, and very popular. You received a discount for the group package. If one couple leaves, all the couples in your group must leave. There are plenty of other couples that would gladly take your places, but we gave those spots to you. You must participate...or go."
Mike and Bree looked pissed, Orson and Katherine looked sad, and Gabrielle and Carlos looked regretful. It was the presentation in their living room all over again. Lynette was tired of giving speeches but she couldn't give up now.
"Okay, listen." Lynette said to the group. "The counseling sessions don't start until tomorrow. Just give us one night, think it over. We can all go to dinner and hang out, it'll be fun. If you decide you still want to leave, then tomorrow we'll pack up and go. All I ask is that you give it a chance."
"Look around you." said Tom, not missing a beat. "You flew all the way to paradise, you can't turn around and go because of some tiny little meetings you have to go to."
Lynette looked to Gabrielle. Gabrielle looked up at Carlos, and he nodded his silent agreement.
"Dinner sounds like a great idea." said Gabrielle.
"Dinner sounds fabulous." Katherine chimed in, walking past Mike and Bree before they could disagree. She walked up to the host and flashed a friendly smile. "So where are the rooms?"
Benson led them down the path to their rooms, over a wooden boardwalk that took them over water, sand and grass. Before they moved into an area surrounded by trees, Mike saw across the water, about half a mile out, there was another island. Loud music was booming, and the flashing colored lights were visible even in the midday sun. It seemed as if a huge party was going on.
"Hey, what's that over there?" asked Mike. Benson turned to see where he was pointing, and his face grew even more dour than it was naturally.
"That," Benson said carefully. "Is Sunset Island."
"Ooh, is that where we go after dark?" said Tom.
"Yeah, how do we get over there?" asked Carlos.
"You don't." Benson said simply. "That island is our singles resort. It is strictly forbidden for participants of our couples retreat program."
The three men who'd spoken of it exchanged 'aw, maaan' looks, but they didn't say anything.
"Is there a club like that on this island?" Gabrielle inquired.
Benson smiled. "No. Most of your time here will be spent in quiet reflection. Speaking of which, I must ask that you hand over all cellular phones and handheld communication devices."
Another round of complaints, much louder and more passionate than the first, was raised among the group. After some patient staring from Benson, all but one of them handed their phones to Benson, who placed them in a basket carried by an island servant.
"Mrs. Hodge?" Benson prompted.
She smiled calmly. "I didn't bring one."
"Are you sure?" Benson asked her, familiar with every excuse.
Bree nodded, but at that very moment she received a text from a very special friend. Her phone chirped, giving her away. Benson cleared his throat, smiled and held out his hand. Bree's smile faded, replaced by a look of contempt, and she pulled her precious Blackberry out of her purse, slapping Benson's hand with it as she handed it over.
"Believe me, it will be much easier to commit to the program without these unneccessary distractions."
"Oh, I'll be committed alright." Bree muttered. "To a damned mental institution."
* * *
An hour later, after settling in their rooms and changing into some clean, comfortable clothes, they were ready for a good meal. As they were seated at the retreat's only restaurant - and a very fine restaurant it was - Gabrielle leaned toward Lynette.
"I just wanted to let you know," Gabrielle whispered. "Carlos and I have already decided to stay."
"Thank you, Gabby." said Lynette, briefly squeezing her friend's hand. "That means a lot."
Once again Benson appeared, as if he'd been waiting in the wings until they were all seated and comfortable.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. How did you find your rooms? Are you pleased with your accomodations?"
Everyone nodded, genuinely impressed. Even Bree had been excited to find the glass floor panels. Their rooms were over the water, and they could see clear through the shallow water to the sandy floor, the view interrupted only by brightly colored fish swimming past without a clue they were part of a walkway.
"Splendid." said Benson. "I've brought you your itineraries for tomorrow." The host handed each couple an expensive looking book, which had a days worth of activities listed inside it. They opened them up, finding yet another unpleasant surprise.
"6 A.M.?!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "Are you crazy? How do I get off this island?"
"Gabby!" Carlos whispered, pulling her back down to her seat.
"Sorry." she said. "Reflex. I make it a general rule to never wake up before 10 a.m. when I'm on vacation. Is there some way to rearrange the schedules...?"
"I'm sorry, no. As I said earlier, our resort is very exclusive, and- "
"Very popular, yadda yadda, I know." said Gabrielle, gulping down the rest of the fruity drink the waiter had brought them as a welcoming gift.
"I know it may seem difficult at first," said Benson. "But I am sure you will find that after a few sessions, your dedication and commitment to our process will lead you to a more complete and fulfilling outcome."
Bree took a deep breath. Since leaving the mainland, she'd remained almost silent.
"6 a.m. is fine." she said. "Is there a dress code for any of these activities? The yoga, for example?"
The host smiled, appreciating Bree's apparent cooperation and curiosity.
"You will be given what we like to call 'unity robes' for your counseling. As for the yoga, you may wear whatever makes you comfortable. Now, please enjoy the rest of your dinner. I must tend to the other guests."
Orson experienced a fleeting moment of hope. Bree was showing an interest in the 'process', as Benson kept putting it. It lifted his spirits, even though he could tell Bree was just going through the motions. It didn't matter; at least they'd be staying on the island.
"Uniforms?" Mike said, as if he couldn't believe it.
"Not uniforms, unity robes." Katherine corrected him. Reading from the itinerary, which came with a small guide and glossary, she explained what the idea behind them were. "They represent the concept that you and your significant other are in the same boat, having the same experience."
"Uniforms." Mike repeated. The pictures in the itinerary showed happy couples wearing an Asian inspired tunic and loose fitting pants, in deep red, blue, green and amber hues.
"Either way, I bet you'll look cute in it." said Katherine, just trying to keep him happy.