Abby The morning light creeping through the slits of the blinds pulls me from sleep. There’s a throbbing ache nestled behind my eyes, a telltale sign of last night’s overindulgence in wine. I prop myself up on one elbow, the room swaying slightly, and my gaze lands on the bedroom door. Beyond it
And before he could respond, I was scurrying away. My bedroom door closed behind me like an impenetrable fortress, and I was cast in darkness in more ways than one. Now, the memories of last night feel like a leaden weight in my chest. I run a hand through my tangled hair, wincing at the thought o
Abby The door to the restaurant swings open with a familiar creak, and the scent of fresh coffee and bread reaches my nostrils. It’s been two days since Karl left town. Things are finally back in full swing after the competition, but I took the weekend off to recover—not just from the cook-off,
There’s another long silence. But then, suddenly, Chloe blurts out a question that I never would have expected. “Do you think you should… I don’t know, try to stop him from leaving?” Her question catches me off guard. I whirl around to face her, my mouth agape. “Stop him?” I repeat, the absurd
Abby The smell of roasted coffee beans and fresh pastries fills the air as I step into the brunch spot where Chloe, Lea and I meet up once a week. It’s been a tradition of ours for years, and I’m glad to have things back to normal now that the cook-off is over Normal. The word feels foreign. A
Chloe nods emphatically. “Leah is right. You can'’ let one setback define you. And you were amazing at the cook-off, despite the mishaps. You have a gift, Abby.” I shrug, avoiding their gazes as I take a sip of my coffee. “Maybe. But right now, I really am enjoying the managerial work. It’s less..
Abby As soon as the door opens and Mr. Thompson’s figure appears in the doorway, my heart jumps into my throat. A palpable wave of embarrassment washes over me; I’m suddenly painfully aware of my disheveled appearance. My hair is pulled back into a messy bun, a few stray locks defiantly escapi
The footage begins, and the scene comes to life in front of my eyes. It’s the morning of the cook-off, the prep time that I missed in the morning. The contestants are busy chatting, chopping, and rearranging while various staff wander around the stage, finishing up last-minute tasks. My station is
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