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
My patience is wearing thin. “Ms. Falks, Iris is doing exactly that. She’s using her platform to advocate for children who don’t have the advantages her son does. I would think your organization would support such efforts rather than undermine them.”“We support genuine advocacy, not performances de
ArthurThe stack of papers on my desk seems to grow rather than shrink no matter how many hours I spend working through them. Budget proposals, foreign policy briefings, economic reports—being Alpha President means drowning in an endless sea of bureaucracy.I rub my eyes, fighting off the midday fat
Iris“Nervous” doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel as I stand in the conference room in front of Arthur’s staff three days later.My presentation—which has been painstakingly revised after my visit with Veronica—is ready to go, my laptop connected to the projector. Around the oval table sits A
“May I?” she asks, gesturing to my laptop.I nod, turning the screen toward her. She scrolls through my presentation quietly, one hand delicately holding her teacup. I watch her face for any sign of judgment, but she remains professionally neutral.“This is a good start,” she finally says, and my he







