How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

"I'm sorry, Miss Elodie Thorne. You missed the optimal window for surgery..."

Elodie stood frozen for a long time, clutching the diagnosis confirming her uterine cancer, before she finally dialed Jarrod Silverstein's secretary, Keith.

The line rang endlessly before he picked up, his tone as flippant as ever. "Yes, Mrs. Silverstein? Can I help you?"

Elodie's fingers curled, stiff and cold. "Is Jarrod there? I need to speak with him."

"Mr. Silverstein is unavailable at the moment," Keith replied.

"Please, could you put him on—"

She didn't even finish before another voice floated through the receiver-a woman's voice, gentle and sweet. "Jarrod," she teased, "what's this surprise? Why all the secrecy?"

"Look up," came Jarrod's deep, familiar voice-so gentle, yet never for her.

A second later, Keith cut the call without hesitation.

At that very moment-

Boom-

An explosion thundered from across the harbor. Elodie looked up, her face drained of color.

Brilliant fireworks burst over the distant waterfront, streaks of color twisting together in the midnight blue sky-beautiful, like something out of a fairy tale.

crowd had gathered outside the

The Silverstein Group. He threw this whole fireworks show for his girlfriend's birthday-cost over three

you know! PhD from Pinecrest Institute of Technology, all the top companies are fighting to hire her. She's smart, gorgeous, comes from a powerful family, and her boyfriend is not only handsome but totally

about her. Who wouldn't be proud

her hand until finally, the thin paper slipped

and

Later that night.

find Elodie sitting alone

lights, frowning. "Why aren't

over his arm, and his dark eyes- cold and unreadable as

to think his indifference was just

ice in her arms could burn like

sleep," her voice was barely more than a whisper. "I went

onto the couch, barely interested. "What

He'd promised to go with her, but there was

yesterday, he'd told her he'd come along. But then he found out Sylvie had hidden

left the office in a rush just in time to arrange

hadn't spared a

just wait and see," Elodie said softly, lowering

for a

breath hot against