Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

The little girl looked a bit puzzled, but her mom gently pulled her over.

"Hey, don't go calling people old, honey."

"But Uncle Rupert isn't old! And his wife probably isn't old either," the girl replied innocently.

Sylvia's cheeks flushed. She quickly pulled her hand free from Rupert's and managed an awkward smile.

The girl's mom gave Sylvia a knowing look-she clearly understood, but didn't say a word. Instead, she chuckled. "My husband and I run a little diner over by the university. You should come by sometime if you're free."

"Thanks, I'd love to," Sylvia replied, feeling a warmth in her chest. She had been right about them—they really were easy to get along with.

As the family of three walked away, Sylvia pressed her lips together, feeling like something important had settled, but not completely. There were still so many questions from her past life—if so much had gone on behind her back, who was she really supposed to blame for what happened to Stella and herself?

She turned to Rupert. "Uncle Rupert, what about Bridget and Caleb?"

"They're at the hospital," Rupert said flatly. "Bridget's face was badly injured, and her leg's broken. Caleb's in a coma. He also got fired for forging signatures and overprescribing meds to patients' families."

Sylvia's eyes widened. "Forging? Did he ever forge your signature?"

Rupert's eyes narrowed, suspicious. "How'd you know that?"

expression, though her hands twisted nervously behind her back. "Just a guess. He used to imitate Chris, and Chris

notebooks in his drawer full of my signature -looked like he was practicing. Never actually used them,

So she'd been right. In her past life, Caleb was the one who signed off on those surgery and

was true, how did Stella end up

breeze, and before she could look up, she noticed Rupert's scarf-a familiar one,

Rupert had never worn that scarf again. Was he afraid it would remind her of painful

mess of feelings tangled inside her. She tried to keep calm, but her hand reached out before she could stop herself. She poked at the hole, mumbling,

her wrist. "What's that supposed to

Sylvia, startled, realized how

gearf's got a hole. I could knit you buy you

Rupert only heard what he

down at her.

"No."

ever knitted

him, but his gaze was sharp,

me once, didn't you? Why didn't

feeling guilty. Sometimes, being around someone

guessed it right.

knitting scarves

rage. She'd tried her hand at it fumbling her way through a scarf she'd planned to give Rupert. But the day she was going to, Rupert