testament to hours I should have spent on bigger projects, maybe even that fellowship Dr. Reed kept mentioning. But we needed the m

ewhere, probably begging for snacks Ethan couldn' t really afford but wo

" I muttered to myself,

. My eyes drifted past them, towards the only upscale bistro in town, "The Gilded Spoon," a place

saw him

ever seen. He was laughing, leaning across a small table, his attention entirel

y lived a "simple, authentic rural life" just like us. She was a friend, some

distance, but their body lang

thing. They were friends. Maybe he was discussing a carpentry job

endor next to me I' d be back in a few minutes, just needed to run an errand. My

alleyway that ran alongside the bistro's patio, hidden

ow much longer?" Veronica' s voi

ied, his voice lower, more serious than I was used to. "

rah? An

ision I made when I was angry with you, angry with my family. If you said the word, I' d

. My husband, ready to leave. My son, preferring another woman. All the sacrifices, the dreams

handyman. This wasn't ab

t, the dust, the smell of fried food, it all felt suffocating. My intricate, historically inspi

ed offered. A way out

ed as I reache