Abby The antiseptic smell of the hospital surrounds me, a cold, clinical scent that seems to hang in the air. I glance down at my arm, now wrapped in white gauze, the skin beneath it red and angry. The pain pulses with every heartbeat, but it’s a dull, manageable ache for now. “Abby, you sho
“I’m going with you. If you’re going back to that restaurant, I’m staying by your side.” A smile tugs at my lips. “Deal.” As we leave the hospital, the night air greets us, a stark contrast to the sterile environment inside. The city is alive, lights glittering in the distance, the gentle hu
Abby The door to my office clicks shut, its noise echoing in the room, serving as a final punctuation to Karl’s exit. I watch him go, and the residue of our past, thick with pain and longing, clings to me, making it hard to breathe. A sigh escapes me as I lean back into my chair, the cool leat
… The fading ambient lighting casts long, delicate shadows across the bar, wrapping everything in an almost ethereal, intimate shroud. There’s a sense of stillness, like the world has paused just for me. I sit alone at the sleek mahogany counter, cradling a half-filled glass of white wine, its cri
Abby “Adam… Are you cheating on me?” The anticipation of what Adam is about to say feels like a giant pit in my stomach. He stares down at his hands, his fingers worrying each other in the dim light of the bar. “Abby,” his voice starts with a tremor, “I’m not cheating on you. I would nev
Karl “What do you want?” Adam’s voice is apprehensive, and for good reason. It’s not everyday that I set food inside his restaurant, and it’s certainly not everyday that I show up telling him that I have a proposition for him. But I’ve been plotting this for a long time. Abby clearly doesn’
“Where did you get these?” he whispers, his voice filled with awe. “Some of these can set someone back hundreds, even thousands!” I suppress a triumphant smile. “Connections. People who owe me favors.” “Damn,” Adam says with a chuckle. “May I?” I nod. With a grin, Adam picks up a glass jar
Abby In the dimly lit café, surrounded by the soft murmur of conversations and the aroma of fresh coffee, I sit with my friends, watching their eyes widen in disbelief as I relay the events of the past few days. “You broke up with Adam?” Leah, with her ever-present surprise, always finds a w
Abby Intrigued, I let Karl take my hand and lead me discreetly away from the reception, weaving through the tables and out a back door into the gardens. A mischievous grin plays on his lips as we giggle like teenagers, ducking behind hedges and scurrying across the lush green lawns. “Where are w
As the music shifts to a slow ballad, I feel a familiar pair of strong arms circle my waist from behind. “There’s my beautiful wife,” Karl’s deep voice rumbles in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He spins me around to face him, our bodies swaying in time to the soft music. I gaze up at him
Abby The reception hall is cast in a warm, romantic glow, with twinkling lights and the warm flickering of candles on every table. Soft music plays as Karl and I make our entrance, hand-in-hand to raucous applause and cheers from our guests. I can’t stop smiling as we wave to our loved ones gather
Abby The afternoon sun streaming in through the tall windows of the chapel casts the stones in a warm golden light, giving everything a sort of ethereal energy. I stand in the hallway, my arm linked with Anton’s, as the wedding coordinator prepares everyone to walk down the aisle. “Are you ready
Abby As I sit in front of the vanity mirror with the hair and makeup artist circling around me, I meet my friends’ gazes in the reflection; Chloe, Leah, Daisy, and even Elsie are here as my bridesmaids, each of them looking more beautiful than the last. “The seamstress really did do a great job
Abby With a gasp of excitement, I pull the wedding gown out of its box and hold it up in the light. Everything is perfect; the way the beadwork catches the light, the silky texture, the shape. I can’t wait to try it on now that it’s been altered to fit my body. Quickly, I slip out of my clothe
Abby “Abby, why don’t you sit down?” Karl looks up at me from where he’s sitting on the sofa, a look of concern on his face. He pats the spot next to him, but I shake my head. “I can’t,” I say, continuing to pace back and forth in our living room. “I won’t sit down until I hear back about that
Abby As I chop, stir, melt, and saute, the others stand around me, watching intently. The pasta simmers on the stove, the air smelling like warm butter and spices. It’s enough to make anyone’s mouth water. But my focus isn’t on the rumbling in my belly, nor is it even on the lingering pain in my
As we continue searching, I keep thinking back on our last harrowing hunt for black truffles; those poachers nearly shot us. Even now, I can still remember the sound of the bullets whizzing past my head, and the thuds they made when they careened into trees. “We got really lucky,” I say. “If we ha