way I remembered-grand, pol

over tailored suits and designer gowns. Laughter flowed easily, practiced a

st inside t

t, I let my

as his

e too-by proximit

ot to impress. Not to provoke. Just to exist as myself. The woman s

ly not f

pped

oticed a

was

d instincts lingered. I saw familiar faces-board members, investors, socialites who once gr

I saw

suit that fit him like it always had-perfectly. He was listening to someon

ed... t

ired around the eyes. But uncha

, something old st

it pa

f champagne an

to speak to

unately, had

sulting firm-someone I'd worked with recently-when the air a

stiffene

" she said

t before

authority that once dictated my d

ned s

et away, his gaze polite, di

ent str

ly. But something subtle happened behi

fus

ke I was a detail

gnition f

p. S

nmist

-

pped h

red unspoken

woman asked lightly, unaware she

n't answer

lly, his voice even

you give strangers. The kind that e

ening, M

rrowed just

ning," he

ng something she didn't understand. As soon as

he started,

ent, h

wait

hope

t

well," h

you,"

. It just wasn'

onfirm something only he could see. I let h

seemed to u

u were back in th

't anno

pa

h someone?" he as

yebrow. "Is t

ened. "I was

ed. "T

eased in h

oti

irst time, it

eared," he

nce. Soft.

orrected.

red. "Without s

g," I replied. "J

e. Like he wanted to remind me of some

he said,

now w

up here?

teadily. "Becaus

was

was e

toward the center of the room. Adrian hesitated

we

sider

ave followed wi

the request l

ly," I

ef was i

crowd, the noise fadi

acted me," he s

reached out

opped. Exhaled. "Th

my head

esit

here

had shifted in him too-not enoug

wife," he s

d. "Pas

ed harder tha

. "What are you

answer ri

tages-confusion giving way to uncertainty, uncertain

nk..." he began

a slow

three years ago,

ld didn

in his express

t possible

ze, steady a

ned the

drained fr

. "I would re

ost s

read them,"

rashed be

t, man who never missed de

ince I'd known him,

t time, I felt n