ログインAFTER SOME MONTHSWEDDING DAY REID'S POINT OF VIEWThe wedding day finally arrived.And I was sweating badly.Not the polite, composed kind of sweating.The nervous, slightly panicked kind.“Take it, Reid.”James pushed a neatly folded handkerchief into my hand before I could even ask.“Thanks.” James once my assistance said.Correction, not just my assistant anymore.Family.After secretly dating Mia for one year, pretending they were “just friends” and publicly dating for exactly one dramatic day before announcing their engagement, they decided by the third year that waiting was pointless.They got married.And somehow James, who once trembled during presentations, now stood in front of me calm and married.“Thanks,” I muttered, pressing the handkerchief to my forehead.He smirked. “You know, I was also this nervous on my wedding day.”“It’s not my first wedding either,” I replied dryly.He raised an eyebrow.“But it feels different,” I added quietly.Different wasn’t even the rig
THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEWEthan had fallen asleep inside the farmhouse, curled under a thick blanket Isabella had tucked around him.Matteo and Isabella had long since gone in as well, leaving the yard bathed in moonlight and the faint orange glow of dying fire.The farm felt different at night.So still and silent now.Karline stood near the wooden fence, her fingers resting lightly on the cool surface. Beyond it, the fields stretched into darkness, silvered by the moon. A soft breeze moved through the grass.Reid stood a few steps behind her.He watched her quietly.There was something in his expression, not doubt, not regret, but a nervous weight.He swallowed once.He had rehearsed the words in his mind all evening.And yet now, standing under the open Italian sky, they felt heavier.He walked toward her slowly.Tired from the day.Content from the laughter.But carrying something fragile in his chest.KARLINE'S POINT OF VIEWI heard his footsteps before I saw him beside me.I di
AT NIGHT THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEWClosing time always came gently.The last customer waved goodbye, promising to come early the next morning for cinnamon rolls. Karline smiled and turned the sign on the glass door from Open to Closed.The soft click felt satisfying.Reid was already stacking the outdoor chairs neatly, lifting two at a time like it was nothing.“You don’t have to do all that,” she said, wiping down the counter.He glanced at her over his shoulder. “I know.”“But you still will.”“Of course.”Ethan dragged a small broom that was slightly too big for him. “I’m helping too.”“You’re mostly spreading the crumbs around,” Karline teased.“It’s strategy,” Ethan replied seriously. “Ants need food.”Reid laughed under his breath. “He’s got a point.”Karline shook her head, but her eyes were soft.Within twenty minutes, the tables were aligned, the lights inside dimmed to a golden glow, and the ovens turned off. Reid locked the door and tested it twice, out of habit.“Ready?”
THREE YEARS LATERTHIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEWThree years had passed.Life no longer felt like something they were surviving. It felt like something they were living. Slowly and peacefully.The little bell above the bakery door chimed as the last morning customer stepped out into the soft Italian sunlight. The street outside was calm, lined with flower pots and pale stone buildings that warmed under the sun. The scent of sugar and baked bread lingered in the air, sweet and comforting.Behind the counter stood Karline, tying a thin ribbon around a pastel pink box of pastries. A loose strand of hair had slipped from her bun, and there was flour faintly dusted along her apron. She looked content, not tired, not overwhelmed, just quietly fulfilled.“Mumma, all the blueberry muffins sold out?”She looked down immediately.Ethan stood in front of her, now eight years old, taller, leaner, with the same bright eyes and that wide, toothy smile that had somehow grown even more charming with time
THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW The door closed quietly behind them.Karline stepped in first this time.She didn’t rush and simply walked forward slowly, taking in the silence of the house.Sunlight poured through the tall windows, resting gently on cream-colored walls and warm wooden floors.It felt calm, simple and beautiful.Ethan ran past her with a small laugh. “It looks so new!”Reid smiled faintly. “That’s because it is.”Karline moved further inside.Her fingers brushed the wall lightly as if she needed to feel it to believe it.“The color…” she said softly. “You chose this?”Reid nodded. “You once said white feels cold. And dark colors feel heavy. So… I tried to find something in between.”She smiled gently. “It’s perfect.”There was no exaggeration in her voice.Just honesty.She walked toward the living area.The furniture wasn’t flashy. It was not like their old home back in the new york but beautiful soft fabrics sofa.A wooden coffee table.A woven rug beneath it.“It’s bea
AFTER THREE MONTHSThree months had passed since the night the tent collapsed.Three months since blood on the ground. Since sirens. Since fear sat in Karline’s chest like a stone.Now, the hospital corridors no longer felt terrifying. They felt familiar. Almost gentle.Reid had been discharged a month and a half ago after spending six long weeks under constant monitoring. The doctors had been cautious, especially about the head injury. But every follow-up visit brought better news.“The swelling has reduced significantly,” the neurologist had said during the last appointment. “His procedures and medications will taper down gradually. A few more months of care, and he should be fully recovered.”Karline had nearly cried from relief.Ethan was recovering too.Reid had changed.Not dramatically in loud ways, but quietly.Deeply.He and karline attended therapy sessions without complaint, not just physical therapy for his shoulder and balance, but counseling too. For their trauma. For th
THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW The moment Karline turned, she froze.Her smile faded, her breath caught halfway.Because standing near Reid, was Natalie.For a second, the world seemed to tilt. The warm golden lights of the ballroom blurred, the hum of people laughing and the soft violin faded in her
THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW She kissed Ethan’s forehead one more time before quietly stepping out. Dr. Myers stood waiting outside. He was polite as always, but his face gave him away. That solemn look doctors wore when they had to deliver something that hurt. “Ms. Russo,” he greeted softly. “Goo
REID'S POINT OF VIEW The city outside my apartment windows was quiet.A sharp contrast to the noise in my head.I loosened my tie, rolled my sleeves, and sank into the armchair. The familiar burn of whisky slid down my throat, and for a moment, everything felt… still.Still, but not peaceful.Neve
At the Ball VenueKarline’s POVBy the time I reached the venue, it was already buzzing with noise and motion. Workers rushed in and out, carrying boxes, adjusting lights, testing sound systems. The grand chandelier above sparkled under the early afternoon sunlight filtering through the glass ceil







