TER

ar

Years E

folded across her chest, watching me struggle with the zipper of my dress. "...

the zipper altogether. "I

from the door before walk

ale blue dress. "I thin

dramatical

?" I

ou look b

a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. Her voice so

don

ized to a chair yesterda

cheeks. "It surpris

t into laughter

s gathered in the corners of h

you lo

ulders, squeezing gently. "Even if you'r

self, Dad's voice echoed

oom door. "I'm coming!" I

hed the dining room. Dad was already seated at the tabl

here she is." I walked over and ki

me a cup of coffee before motioni

dn't answer immediately. Instead, he stirred his

any isn't

siness has

major contracts and the bank refused another extension. So

s to be another way. What about that company yo

"They've been inte

ot let th

anged. "They didn'

They offered

hat

efus

yesterday... The CEO came back." Someth

did h

gether. "He wasn't inte

Confusion cr

"He asked for your

round me see

ts to ma

even met him." A ner

billionaire want w

im the sam

. "This doesn't

ook my hand. "Sara..." "If you say no...

f it meant losing everything... He would still ch

ould have said no. Maybe... Everything

he present. I looked out the window and rea

bert." I said

to the cemetery. I had imagined coming

s name over the gra

Father. Bro

id quietly. "I'm sorry it took me

of the anger." I sniffed. I was about to place the flowers I brought, when I noticed fresh flowers t

my phone vibrate

ria

efore I answered. "I was wondering

n beneath it. "I gave you forty-five minutes. And then another thirty because I assumed t

t worried about that." His reply came immediat

seeing him again would make me feel..." I searched

head."It doe

e street. "I haven't forgotten waking up in that hospital. I haven't forgotten what they took from me." "I just-" "You j

atened to s

away before th

that wreckage fought harder

s still there. You just bu

wasn't sure he was wrong. "I

inn

ly become a better coo

s a lo

e saf

" I hung u

ked the apartment door and i

grey cat came sprinting around the corner before launch

oudly. "Did you miss me or are you just hungry again?"

king for what to eat. The fridge was almo

hower. I pushed open the

edside lamp...is on. I remember

lded piece of black paper resting on the

e ghosts shoul