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
Iris & ArthurIrisWhen we reach Augustine’s hospital room, we pause outside. Through the small window in the door, I can see her lying in the bed, tubes and wires connecting her to various machines. She looks so small, so fragile.“Are you ready?” Arthur asks softly.I take a deep breath and nod. I
IrisThe morning sun filters through the curtains, warming my face and pulling me out of a restless sleep. For a moment, I linger in bed. But it’s not a restful state that I’m in; rather, my mind keeps replaying the events that occurred last night in that alley.Arthur’s words, his accusations, and
ArthurI searched for Iris for five years, and today, I finally saw her.At first, I felt a mixture of heartache and longing. Finally, I found my fated mate.But the longer I watched her today—her smile, her ease with the man and the children—the more the ache turned to anger. How can she look so at
IrisThe kiss is warm, familiar, and entirely consuming.And for a brief, fleeting moment, I nearly fall into the abyss of it all—the way his lips mold so perfectly to mine, the press of his hands against my waist in the spots where they once fit like puzzle pieces, the rough thrust of his tongue on







