ched the sidewalk, his eyes sharpening when he spott

ing through the tinted glass, he caught sight

clung to her body like a second ski

rose-shaped folds, shifted and f

own her back gave her an effortless allure, each s

words slip out, awestruck. "She look

m into silence before he turned his eyes back to Allison. Dressed lik

ny longer, his phone vi

the other end, Derek's face hardened. A stor

o my grandparen

dened. "What ab

d come alo

Lincoln parked at the curb. Did he

on the window when the back door suddenly

cle took off, its eng

forward, causing her to lose her foo

and it moved beneath her touch befo

g her head hard against the ceiling. She grimaced, holdin

rce," she said, her voice strained with dis

ing second thoughts? He knew it-Derek must have devel

er incident. With a brooding expressio

th deliberate slowness, and placed it in his mouth, pressing

er more, kept silent, bowed her he

an hour before they fina

ditional architecture with sophisticated landscaping tha

son looked up and was struck by

aking me here?

it was customary for the Evans famil

d just the night before. Given that their divorce was nearing

Lincoln, took Allison's wrist firmly in hand, and led her pa

dmother woke up this morning, only to collapse shortly after. She's been in a coma then. T

ime she has collapsed this way, exhibiting bleeding from her nose and mouth.

ere already waiting outside the ma

. Their first, Eric Evans, was deeply involved

on, had previously managed senior duties at Ev

e mayor of Oregend, was absen

and mocked, "There are those who show no compassion. They value mo

ed her tongue disapprovingly. "Well, look who's here.

efiantly, and although her makeup was flawless, it did li

. Had you arrived any later, you might have missed your chance to see her one last time. And al

bbling, stepped closer to Glenn a

and beard more pronounced in his grief, seemed to shrink befor

wrist with a strength that belied his frail appearanc

erek's expression hardened, his voice gritty as he respon

itioning herself just behind Derek. She stood there, her han

had always shown h

ily matters-despite their impending

r slowly opened and the doct

d all possible interventions, but... I'm sor