a P

the phone, lost in a world where I clearly didn't exist. I stood by my bedroom door, listenin

turb their moment, their happiness. Back in my room, I looked around. This pla

le had given it to me on my tenth birthday. "This lamp will protect you at night, Cora," h

itch. Darkness enveloped the roo

d the display cabinet in my room. Inside, trinkets and gifts from Cole were neatly arranged. A lucky charm he' d waited hours in line fo

ch addition. A vast emptiness stretched within me, a desolate landscape wh

of my nightstand. Inside lay a fa

my family, the cruel taunts of classmates, and the crushing loneliness. I remembered the day Cole found it. He' d wa

him. Every word, every thought, every secret dream, revolved around Cole. When he won his first major architecture award, he'd t

of the page, a message from his high school days. "Work hard, Cora.

ring the ink. I wiped it away fiercely. No more

ike a piece of our shared past being erased. All the memories, the hopes, the whispered secrets, all shredded. When the la

slamming. My heart lurched. I walked

d from behind her, his arm wrapped around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder

fair," Isabela giggled. "

d curve. "Cora, dear! You're up late. We just got back

said, my smile feeli

ial!" She opened her suitcase and pulled out a small, exquisite box. "

one. When I was ten, a new housekeeper, unaware of my allergy, had served me a mango smoothie. I landed in the

y; he forgot my weaknesses too.

it, Cora." His tone was flat, leaving no room for refusal. He didn't even notice the tr

I managed, my voice

, twisted way, I was grateful. This indifference, this blat