How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Jarrod really did change rooms. Now, so early in the morning, he and Sylvie were coming and going together. There was no doubt they'd spent the whole night in the same room.

Elodie suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

She turned away from the two of them, slipped back into her room, and rushed to the bathroom, trying to throw up—anything, just to get rid of that nauseous feeling.

But nothing came up.

Her appetite had been terrible lately. Maybe things were even worse for her than she'd realized.

Elodie stared at her pale, hollow-eyed reflection in the mirror, a chill crawling up her spine.

People are so fragile, she thought.

At least she could be grateful she'd woken up before things became truly irreversible.

She still had time to become herself again.

With a determined breath, Elodie touched up her makeup, determined not to look so worn out.

She asked the innkeeper to arrange a car to take her back down the mountain. Just then, her grandmother called.

a stern, no-nonsense woman. With Elodie's grandfather gone

even more quiet-except when it

her throat before answering, making

asked, her tone gentle

in her chest. "I'm eating

softly. "It's nothing urgent. I just finished knitting two scarves for you and Jarrod. The weather's getting colder, and these will

"Grandma, you really don't

for you, married into a family like his. There's not much I can do to help, so I do what I can. Be good to

burned. She wiped the corner of her eyes

always time for a meal," Rosemary said, not missing a beat.

long since Rosemary had seen Elodie and

agreed, "Alright.

to her grandmother about the divorce he owed her that much. At least they could part on good

the biggest

and take a toll on her health. Better to find a gentler explanation, to say they just weren't right

something Jarrod needed

Elodie left her room and walked down

it was