Ižakovci, Slovenia - love, loss, and a cup of coffee

Life throws so many unpredictable things at us. Some, we are ready for. Some, we never see coming.

It was that time again—a day to see my girls! But this time, it was a bittersweet gathering.

You already know my four beautiful girls, my soulmates, my sisters from another mister! We share everything—the good, the bad, the hilarious, and the heartbreaking. When something happens, we get together, we talk, we cry, we laugh, we just feel together.

So, last week, one of my girls dropped a message in our group chat: “I have news!” And we were like, Okay, spill it! What kind of news? Then, BAM! An ultrasound photo. A tiny, blurry, little baby.

I just sat there, staring at the screen. My girl is pregnant. Pregnant!

I was over the moon! Our Mi is having a baby! 🥰 Another tiny human to love, another member of our crazy little family. I wasn’t expecting her to be next, not yet! I was so sure she’d wait another year or two. But here we are! Time to celebrate—absolutely! 🎉

But then... the next day... my phone rang. Another one of my girls.

This was our coffee talk day—our little ritual. We each make coffee and chat for hours, spilling all the tea (literally and figuratively). But this time... I knew. I knew the moment I heard her voice.

Something was wrong.

And then she told me... She’s single.

She left him. After 13 years. Thirteen years.

They built a home together, had plans, dreams, renovations. And now... it was over. I was in shock. My happy, full-of-life, never-sits-still, sunshine-in-human-form bestie... single?

I couldn’t believe it. She never really complained about him, not in a way that made me think this was coming. Sure, she’d mention things here and there, but nothing that screamed breakup. But then, it clicked. She’s 34. She has a fire for life. She hikes every hill, kayaks every river, climbs every wall—always moving. And he? He was always home. Always behind a screen. Never joining. Never living with her. And she had finally had enough.

She had two choices: stay with him and regret a life unlived, or take a terrifying leap into the unknown and truly start living. And she leapt.

And you know what? I was proud of her. So damn proud.

So, in true us fashion, we gathered. Five of us, one broken heart, one growing belly, a whole lot of emotions. We needed this.

And where did we go? To one of the most beautiful places in Prekmurje, Slovenia—Otok Ljubezni. The Island of Love.

It’s a little slice of heaven by the Mura River. Wooden bridges, a floating mill, a ferry that’s been gliding across the river for centuries. It’s peaceful, magical, a place where stories linger in the air.

Legend has it, a baroness once met her secret lover here. They were madly in love, but her family disapproved. They hid, they loved, they dreamed—until one day, he never came. Her parents had forced him to leave. She never married, never loved another. Just her, alone, with the memories of what could have been. A tragic, beautiful love story.

And that’s where we sat, brewing coffee on a little burner, talking for five hours. Five hours of laughter, tears, heartache, excitement, fear, hope.

We poured our emotions into the open air, letting the Mura carry them away. And in that moment, I felt it. This is what life is about. Love, loss, change, new beginnings. And having people who will stand beside you through all of it.

So yes, it was a bittersweet day. But life would be so much less beautiful, so much less fun, without these girls.

Next gathering? April. Big hike. New stories. New emotions. Same, unbreakable bond. 💛

“Don’t make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up.” — Thomas J. Watson

(oh my, I found an old photo, yes this little blond girl is me) 😂

With love, @tinabrezpike ❤️