all twisted around her, and the room was dim with evening light peeking through the curtains. Her chest

hopping rosemary. The kitchen smelled like herbs and roasting chicken.

r mom said with a

es. They chopped and stirred together. It felt go

"Dad's cooking was way bett

waved a wooden spoon at her. "Hey!

it," Nora teased. She could picture him at

in. Your dad ruled the kitchen. B

r voice quiet. "I miss

mom said, her eyes so

lie called while they cooked, her face glowing from an amusement park. "You're missing o

laughing as Ellie blew a kiss and hung

. "Mom," she said, "how did you and Dad really mee

s the actual truth." She took a breath. "I was 22, and my boyfriend at the time...a total je

ebrow. "You? At a

ady to leave. He has just finished his shift. But he saw me...sad, drunk, and pathetic...and stayed.

We liked the same silly humor and cheesy action movies. I told him the wine tasted like 'fermented regret,' and

o why didn't you

Then, two years later, I was on a crowded bus, and there he was, reading a sci-fi

n. "That's ki

thought I'd never breathe again. You and Ellie kept me going. Grief doesn't go away, but it c

ed up and went to the living room, curling up under a blanket on the couch. Her mom put on The Princes

sh," Nora giggled. "Caleb wou

. Said 'As you wish' when I asked him to

ther, cracking up at the sword fights. But by the time Buttercup

never finish this movie."Her mom mumbled, half-aslee

and sad at once. "Go to bed," she s

forehead, and shuffled off. "Go

" Nora said, w

aleb again. She grabbed her phone, remembering how he'd text her goodnigh

f, she opened the Three Musketeers group chat. Maya and Lila had sent apology messages, goofy selfies with Ellie at the amusement park,

typed, "You're the worst, but I love you

ping you soon. Deal?" Lila added a heart a

"To the moon and back, losers." They

ned on her reading lamp, its light soft on her desk, and sat down. Her eyes landed on th

do for these two weeks. For me." Her hand shook a bit.Cooking class...to rem

as awesome with instruments, his

fect, so hers...

tart. She closed the diary, still hurting but a tiny bit hopeful. For