been inseparable

r in my world when ever

family. My mother, a powerhouse of a woman, threw herself into her wo

r voice laced with pity and a hint of judgment. "Such a shame. No father, and

ords had pierced my

a sturdy, fiercely protectiv

nation crossed his face wh

ay bad things about Clai

and my aunt, a little

zing! And Clair

on, Jonah beca

es; he'd listen patiently to my stories about scho

cause he felt it was his responsibility; he'd remin

him, a safe, warm orbit

riend, my confida

, spending countless hours at his house, textboo

dream; it was a shared vision

elves walking through the sun-drenched campus, then tra

the world, after building our futures at Stanford, then we wou

ago, Anisa Wa

her resilience and academic excellence. Jonah's mother, always passionate about philanthropy, had initially sponsored her enrollm

cool toward Anisa,

et shadow, always presen

pot of tea on his desk; when his gaze accidenta

for her. She seemed so lost, so alon

r," I'd suggested once. "She seem

grunted i

isted in her q

niversity as Jonah, despite her excellent grades, opting for a less compet

tarted t

up over a textbook in the libr

way to meet me, stop

was drawn. He looked at her, then at me, his eyes a comp

his coldness tow

h her, helping her with her schoo

ions, our shared dreams,

classmate made a snide remark about Anisa, Jo

her champion

he had onc

tanford admissions deadline. Jonah announce

e was staying at the local stat

er. To be th

He'd just told me, taking it f

me like a p

rce a smile from a distant shore. Everything we'd built together

about to