torm I thought I had left behind. When I pulled away

me and back again, her mind st

is this?" St

rough mine. "I' m Maria Hughes," she said,

. You' re a downgrade, a temporary rebound. He came back to Aust

e unshaken. "And his name. You' re the past, a closed c

d to enrage Stella more than any insult c

nd her hand flew up, aiming t

Stella, hard. She stumbled backwa

my hands cupping her face. "Ar

Maria whispered, h

, started to sob. It was a perfor

ce. "After everything I did for you, you pushed me for he

ust. Her promises. Her

silence as weakness. "We can still do it! We can have a family

me like a phys

he surface. Years ago, Stella had gotten pregnant. I was o

? A baby would "tie her down." And worse, she said it would make Caleb, who was struggling with hi

he was saying now, her voice filled

ll figure with pigtails and bright, curious e

ooking up at me. "Mommy s