The cool air outside hit me like a wave. I stepped into the gravel parking lot, drawing in shaky breaths, my heart pounding as I pressed a hand against the nearest fencepost for balance. The birds were singing, the sky a brilliant blue, and still I felt like the world was spinning.“Mad?”I turned,
Madelin’s POVThe church bells rang softly through the valley, their tone drifting through the cool Sunday air as we all climbed into the old truck. I sat in the passenger seat beside Jack, smoothing my skirt nervously, while Emily, Jonathan, and Grandma sat in the back, chatting about the sermon we
Emily’s POVThe morning came softly — the kind of quiet dawn that felt like a whispered secret. A thin veil of mist still clung to the valley, and the smell of dew and earth drifted through the open window. I slipped out of bed before anyone else was awake, pulling a cardigan over my nightgown and p
“So it’s true,” she said, eyes gleaming. “They knew each other before?”“Apparently,” I said, smiling. “Grandma told us they used to date when they were teenagers. Before life got complicated.”Delilah gasped playfully. “That’s actually kind of beautiful. Like something out of a movie. Two people se
Jonathan’s POVThe farmhouse had grown quiet after dinner, the glow from the oil lamps spilling soft amber light across the long table where the remnants of grandma’s cooking still lingered — roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and her famous green beans with almonds. Jack and Madelin were laughing toge
I laughed, the memory washing over me. “We were reckless. God, I was so terrified the nuns would call my parents.”“They probably did,” he said, laughing. “But by then you were already back at school, pretending to be the perfect student.”“Pretending being the key word,” I said softly.The laughter