~DESMOND~The night was still, but my mind wasn’t.My words to Melissa still echoed in my head as I sat alone in my study, the amber light from the lamp spilling faintly across the desk. The untouched drink before me had long gone warm. My reflection in the glass looked tired. Not from the long wedding program but from the weight of everything else.When I first saw her, it was like seeing a ghost.Caleb and I had been at the mall that afternoon- he’d just finished a checkup, and I was distracted, answering calls, juggling numbers and board decisions. Then I heard his voice- sharp, bright, and full of something I hadn’t heard in a long time.“Mom!”I froze. He was running. My heart lodged in my throat.When I turned, I saw her - the woman Caleb was rushing toward. For a second, I couldn’t move. Her smile was bright as her lips moved calculatedly in her speech to the cashier. The resemblance was uncanny. The same eyes, the same soft curve of her lips, even the way she carried herself.
Last Updated : 2025-11-13 Read more