le knew

hday. An

hollow, the silence only broken

e watch on his wrist, a gi

s late

th a slice of store-bought c

ught it

were still

rivate elevator an

Iz

Izzy' s moth

rk contrast to the cool e

ar. Happy

t a neatly

sabella i

es held a hi

tood. She

ophia. You di

. You' re

e word fel

rm on his arm, a brief

e warmer when Sophia visited,

ing around the mini

hat I envisioned

ew what

ago, the I-

, had pulled Izzy from

the car behind, h

evere, the medical

grateful, had of

arr

ble husband after her messy pu

his mother'

ansa

st it, but Izzy and h

hen," Sophia said softly, as if reading hi

had become a

e name still lef

ollege sw

New York, back

tech," Izzy' s tech empire

wasn't

shed tones weren't always about s

ys present, always a remi

zy' s increasing

d him, her ex

ppiness, Ethan.

e a permission slip he hadn't

aid, his voice

de his d

ip in Germany. An acceptance lett

ew

for divorc

't look

ps. "It' s about time, Eth

door open

late, powerful, e

anced at him

Ethan." A

exquisitely wrapped

n. Sorry I'm late. Bo

y scrolling th

issue with the new pr

off as she focus

the gift. It was

w. The one Mar

her old flame, re-gif

a mistake. It w

fina

't say

n this. It's for the lawyers. Sta

Alway

n look at him

retreated to her home office, presumably on a

ghts faded

ore his moth

a stark contrast to the Ha

ispered, the words ca

d. For five ye

lting bouquet he' d p

it anymore. It

orce papers he' d had

review Izzy

g to be a surgeon again. The ki

e, cold and sharp

' d put on hold was immen

t an ending. It