Chapter 0123
Karl

The sun is barely hovering above the h orizon as I pull up in front of Abby’s apartment building on

Friday morning.

I can’t help but smile as I think about the day ahead of us. My black car idles, the hum of its engine

drowned out by the pop song playing on the radio—a song I can easily imagine Abby singing along to,

although I don’t personally care for that kind of music myself.

With a deep breath, I turn off the engine and grab the to-go cup of her favorite coffee from the cup

holder.

She opens the door almost as soon as I knock, as though she was standing there, waiting. There’s a

look in her eyes that makes it seem as though she’s still on the fence about going. But the second her

eyes meet mine, the tension in her shoulders eases. Just a bit.

“Good morning,” I greet, handing her the coffee. “Figured you could use this.”

She grins, taking a sip immediately. “You read my mind.”

There’s a slight silence for a few moments. My eyes scan the inside of her apartment, where a bag sits

on the floor behind her; it’s packed haphazardly, no doubt. She’s never been the neatest traveler.

“Oh, one more thing,” she says before I can say anything. She slips her phone out of her pocket and

begins tapping furiously on the screen while her coffee cup balances precariously in the crook of her

“I have to

you,” I say, sna tching both the phone and the

enjoy

at me for a moment, that signature stare of hers, but finally relaxes

“You’re right.”

few minutes. The morning sun streams through the

I plug in my phone and

long drive

says, her fingers nervously

play, and the first chords of a nostalgic song—one that played at our wedding—fill the

shaking her

on, it’s a classic,” I defend, bobbing my head to

twitch upwards into a smile, but it quickly fades. I watch from my peripherals

window, occasionally sipping out of her coffee cup.

and forth to the song, ever so slightly. And that’s

comfortable silence for about half an hour when Abby suddenly

building off the

place?” she

in the direction she’s pointing, spotting the outline

“Ah, the Woodpecker Inn,” I say, a smile

than once.”

more nostalgic

betraying you. I

What was it

you’ve got it all wrong. You proposed

near the fireplace where we

momentarily, leaving space where

Inn… I try not to think about it, because if I do, I’ll get too distracted and possibly run

car off the road.

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