LOGINThe baby had taken longer than usual to settle, fussing softly in her crib until Cynthia warmed a bottle, held her close, and swayed gently until those tiny fingers relaxed against her arm.Now, she stood for a moment beside the crib, watching her daughter sleep. A small smile tugged at her lips.“Stay asleep,” she whispered softly, brushing a curl away from the baby’s forehead. “Mommy has things to do.”She slipped out of the room quietly, pulling the door halfway closed before heading downstairs. She hadn't unpacked the things she got from the supermarket and this was the right time.Cynthia rolled up her sleeves and got to work. She kept the groceries where they each belonged and then went ahead to make the popcorn. Then she moved to the counter, rinsing fresh strawberries under running water, their bright red color almost too pretty to cut.She sliced them carefully, dropping them into a pot. Sugar followed, then a splash of lemon. A little stir, the wooden spoon moved in slow cir
The soft hum of weekend life filled the air as Cynthia pushed her cart slowly down the wide aisles of the supermarket, her fingers loosely wrapped around the handle while her eyes scanned the shelves with quiet focus. It was always a bit more crowded on weekends than on weekdays.It had been a while since she’d done something as simple as grocery shopping without rushing back home. Today she was going to take her time. Lately, her life has been perfect. She paused briefly, adjusting the strap of her handbag on her shoulder as a small smile tugged at her lips. The past few weeks felt like a reset, a gentle rewind to something she thought she had lost.Her heart warmed at the thought of her husband. He had been more intentional, that was the word. Flowers showing up in front of the doorsteps unannounced. Little gifts she didn’t ask for. The way he lingered longer in conversations and how he looked at her like he was still trying to win her over, like they were just starting out again.
The tears hadn’t stopped, they came in quiet waves at first soft, shaky breaths that she tried to swallow down but the more she tried to control it, the worse it got. Melody curled into herself on the bed, clutching the fabric of her boubou like it could somehow hold her together.Her chest tightened with every breath.She wasn’t someone who cried easily. She wasn’t fragile. She wasn’t weak. But lately… it felt like something inside her had been unlocked, like her emotions had been turned all the way up and she didn’t know how to turn them down.Her stomach twisted again. Just then, there was a soft knock on the door..Melody didn’t move. She didn’t answer. Before she could even gather herself, the door creaked open and Logan stepped in.She lifted her head immediately, her eyes still glassy, her cheeks damp. The moment she saw him, irritation flared so fast it almost burned away the tears.“I didn’t ask you to come in.” Her voice was sharp, raw. She was still clutching her gown.Logan
Melody woke up like someone being pulled reluctantly from the depths of a dream she couldn’t quite remember.Her body felt heavy and exhausted in a way that sleep hadn’t fixed. Her limbs ached faintly, her head dull, her stomach unsettled in that familiar, unwelcome way that had become almost routine for a few days now.For a few seconds, she just lay there, staring at the ceiling. Then her brows slowly drew together. Something felt off.Her mind tried to retrace its steps, to pick up from where she had left off before she fell asleep, but there was nothing. Just a blank stretch of nothingness. No clear memory of lying down. No memory of deciding to sleep.She shifted slightly, and that was when she noticed it. She was still in her clothes, the black dress she had worn to the funeral.Her breath caught faintly. “…What?” Her voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper.Slowly, she pushed herself up, sitting on the edge of the bed. Her fingers pressed lightly against her temples as sh
Melody lay on the bed, her body slightly propped up by the pillows, her fingers loosely gripping the edge of the sheet as she watched the doctor move around the room. She already knows it's nothing serious, maybe her stomach was reacting to something.He stood at the foot of the bed for a moment, flipping through his notes, his expression calm, he turned to look at Melody and they locked eyes.Melody’s heart began to race, she had nothing to worry about but there was always something about doctors and their silence that always made people nervous.“Am I okay?” she asked finally, her voice softer than she intended. She hated the suspense.The doctor looked up at her, for a brief second, their eyes met. Then he gave a small nod. “You’re very okay Miss Hart.”Melody exhaled immediately, her shoulders relaxing. “Thank God,” she murmured under her breath. “So what was the cause of the pain and nausea? I've had food poisoning once when I was growing up and I think that's what happened to me
The church was silent in a way that felt heavy. Rows upon rows of mourners filled the cathedral, dressed in black and gray. Some sat with bowed heads. Others stared ahead blankly, still trying to accept the loss that had gathered them all in that place. The press was also present, the whole build was press infested.At the very front of the church sat the Russo family. Logan sat between his mother and his sister, his hands clasped together tightly as the preacher spoke from the pulpit.The deep voice of the clergyman echoed softly through the cathedral.“Life,” the preacher said slowly, “is fragile. It is fleeting. We often live our days believing tomorrow will always come… that there will always be another chance to say the things we want to say.” His voice softened. “But the truth is, tomorrow is never promised.”Logan lowered his head slightly. The preacher’s words struck something deep inside him.“Many people go through life postponing love, postponing forgiveness, postponing the
Tara did not remember how she left the staff lunchroom. She only remembered the way the words had dropped into her lap like a slab of ice.The annoying patient who always got on her last nerve was Dr. Davy's father. How strange. She's never seen him go inside the room and the family members who bro
The drive to the house was fun, Logan played some of their favorite songs and they sang along at the top of their voices until they were almost out of breath. Then the silence.Melody sat in the passenger seat, looking out of the window, her hands folded neatly on her lap. The neighborhood they wer
Melody was already in the kitchen when Tara got back from the bathroom, standing in front of the counter with a bottle of cheap champagne and two mismatched glasses.“This is not the kind of champagne your billionaire buys,” Tara said, tying her robe tighter around herself and laughing. “But today,
Diana Russo believed that there were only two kinds of women in the world. The ones who were chosen. And the ones who waited around to be.She had built her entire life making sure she was never the latter. She wasn't born into wealth, she made sure she didn't make the same mistake with her childre







