Cran

oidance of human connection. I was a ghost in plain sight, a shadow slipping through the coastal fog

patterns in my cup. "Just the essentials," I'd tell the grocery clerk, counting out exact change. My interact

tluck, a casual inquiry about my past. But my polite, distant smiles and carefully vague answers soon put an end to

ilent partner in his grand narrative. I was just Anna. A woman with no past, no expectations, and no one to disappoint. The solitude, whic

with the dazzling, expensive jewels that had once been my medium, but with clay. Pottery. Earthy, humble, grounding. There was a raw, visceral satisfaction in sh

ay Studio." My ambition wasn't fame or fortune, but the quiet satisfaction of creation. The intricate, delicate designs of my

ious eyes, who would insist on showing me every lopsided creation. His unburdened enthusiasm was infectious, a gentle current pulling me back toward the light. Seeing their simple

had hired two years ago. "Status Update: Graham Hobbs." My stomach tightened

me safety initiatives in her name. His architecture firm, Hobbs-Garza, has seen unparalleled success, largely attributed to Ms. Elia Garza's continued presence and innovative contributions. Mr. Ho

arrative of a grieving widower. He wasn't mourning me. He was mourning the convenient accessory he had lost

r me?" I typed back, th

ate a continued, private obsession with locating any trace of you. He is particularly fixated on

herished when it was alive. He wanted to possess my art, just as he had wanted to possess me. It wasn't love; it was a d

thy, washed over me. He was suffering, in his own way. But it wasn'

the firm. "Erase every digital footprint, every financial transaction that c

ean roared, a constant, reassuring presence. They thought they knew loss. They thou

r the first time. Graham Hobbs could search for his ghost all he wanted. He wou