as

ke a foreign cou

ourse, it w

of the Hamptons, far from t

aging my travel arrangements, my wardrobe for a

days in a haze of

han signed was t

dence of his profound misu

fter I was discharged from th

owers. Lilies

ce of

he t

bout the accident. And

genuinel

ll held that fam

ara, you know. This heart condit

d not

ure is a miracle. Your father... he really

sitting room, at the

ing through with th

, Eth

.. it was extreme. You were upset. I get it. But it' s n

t is very real, Ethan. As is m

who couldn' t understand why a

is fully recovered, I was

e' , Ethan. You m

uzzed. He g

ar

said, his attention already shi

y, his voice l

tche

n I ha

reminder of a future

, his face etched

s some test results explai

e, as if just remem

lk more. When th

in to kiss

slightly. His lip

l

t watc

nothing le

in Alaska. W

Ms. Peterson bro

u might want to see. Or no

a live

iety

ome and devoted, was escorting

earance since her "

if a little pale,

picture of a

venport and Brave Clara Vance

t his unwavering suppor

ing, in a way. A

mach c

th jea

found, wea

aced a small, beautiful

asked me to gi

as a delicate necklace. A si

of my n

o look forwa

the liv

They could have

ning. And it had no

ht, I ha

edding. Lavi

was th

bride, smiling

tching from the s

a start, my h

am felt

ice, signing final papers related to my

passed a small, excl

ere th

and

si

ghi

nd, slipping a diamon

agement ri

ficant ring

of... so

me through

second, then returned,

urned,

. He looked... g

a' s hand as if

ait for an

he image of that ring, that

n' t a

my re

d