Olivia – Present Day, Age 32
10 YEARS LATER ….
Sometimes, time doesn’t heal. It just softens the pain over time.
The email sat in my inbox like a ghost.
>Subject: Invitation – Annual Hope Foundation Gala<
~From: Lucian Grant.~
His name alone knocked the wind out of me. I hadn’t seen him in ten years. Not even a message. He didn’t appear on the headline either. But here it was, bold and unread, glowing on my laptop screen like it had every right to still exist in my life.
I didn’t open it right away.
Instead, I closed the laptop, poured myself a glass of red wine, and stared out the window of my loft. From this height, the city looked softer, calmer, like maybe it had learned a few lessons, too. Just like me.
A knock at the door saved me from spiraling too deep. I walked towa
