LOGINI can hardly believe it. Before my friends can say anything else, I squeal and throw my arms around them both, jumping up and down. Liam and Brian and the twins are the one major thing I’ve missed dearly since leaving Bo’Arrocan, and to find that they’re finally considering living in Ordan full time
“On schedule, believe it or not,” I reply. “The Bo’Arrocan branch is finally running smoothly, and the Ordan location just graduated its first class of seniors. Six of them got full scholarships to prestigious art schools.”“That’s amazing, Iris.” Alice squeezes my arm. “You’ve created something tru
IrisFive Years Later…“Fifty years of marriage, and they still make each other laugh like that,” Arthur says, appearing at my side with two glasses of champagne. He hands me one and clinks his against it, and we watch as my parents twirl on the lawn, my mom throwing her head back at something my fa
“Gee. Thanks,” I manage to laugh weakly. “I’ll see you all next week.”“You most certainly will not,” Arthur, Hunter, and Alice all say in unison, making me roll my eyes.Outside, Arthur’s car is waiting, parked haphazardly half on the curb. He must have driven like a maniac to get here so quickly f
IrisEight months later…“And that’s why the colors on this side of the color wheel are considered ‘cool’ colors,” I explain to the class of children sitting in a semicircle around me. “They remind us of water, ice, and the sky.”I’m demonstrating on a large color wheel chart when a sharp pain rips
And through it all, Augustine’s breathing grows slower, shallower.Then, quietly and calmly, she goes.Her hand turns limp in mine. The steady beeping of the heart monitor flatlines. The doctor steps forward, checks for a pulse, then shakes her head.“Time of death, 10:47 AM,” she says quietly.I br
He nods with a practiced smile, but I can see the tension in his shoulders, the questions still burning in his eyes.I race to my bedroom and tear through my closet. The dress I’d planned to wear—a sophisticated navy blue sheath—hangs ready, but now I second-guess it. Too formal? Not formal enough?
IrisI don’t see Arthur for three days.But it’s not my fault that I can’t tell him the truth about everything before the party. He’s busy with meetings in another city, I’m busy with Miles, my residency work, and party planning, and even when we do find a rare chance to talk for five minutes on the
I wince at the metaphor but don’t comment. Instead, I study his face, trying to decipher every line and twitch. Somehow, his expression is neutral, as if he wasn’t just telling Arthur that I’m not fit to be a mother or a wife.“I received your invitation,” he says after a moment. “To the dinner part
IrisNo matter how many times I do this, I’ll never get used to giving lectures. And without my old ‘Flora’ disguise, I feel like I’ve been stripped of my protective armor, leaving me even more exposed and vulnerable.My hands shake slightly as I click through the final slides of my presentation. Th







