How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

When Elodie accepted his friend request, Joseph was genuinely surprised. He couldn't even explain to himself why he'd added her in the first place, or what he was supposed to say now that she'd accepted.

It all felt a bit awkward.

In the end, he didn't say anything.

Instead, he tapped into Elodie's social feed and started scrolling.

She didn't post often, and it looked like her privacy settings were wide open. The latest update was from about two weeks ago—a photo of a hospital building.

The caption read: "Here alone, fingers crossed for good news..."

Joseph couldn't help picturing Elodie's calm, detached expression.

Clearly, she'd gone to the doctor by herself.

As he scrolled further, most of her posts were snapshots of daily life-little things that showed how much she loved living. Pictures of desserts she'd made, home- cooked meals, fresh bouquets she'd bought, and her place looking neat and inviting.

It was all so warm and full of intention.

Joseph lingered for a while, thinking that, really, Jarrod ought to be pretty happy.

His thumb paused on a mirror selfie Elodie had posted. He hesitated, then decided not to open it in full.

"Joseph? What are you looking at?" Maurice's voice broke his reverie. They'd all been out to dinner for a while now, but Joseph had barely said a word and kept staring at his phone.

Jarrod glanced over, his tone unreadable. "Something on your mind?"

He, too, had noticed Joseph seemed distracted all night.

Joseph met Jarrod's eyes, feeling a sudden, inexplicable irritation. "No."

Sylvie walked over and glanced at Joseph's phone. "You seem out of it. Are you feeling all right?"

He quickly locked the screen. "I'm fine."

gently. "Glad to hear

she thought she'd glimpsed a woman's photo on

A woman?

gave Joseph a

night at Silverstein Mansion. He'd

and the next morning, as he

heading out for

right into his car, still

at her, eyebrow

school, obviously. Aren't you picking

I miss her, thought I'd say hi before

always called Sylvie

downstairs soon,

glanced at her. "What do you

be acknowledged as his sister-in-law, but Octavia stubbornly refused and

Elodie didn't

to

to admit, Elodie was good at running a home-her cooking and desserts were always

totally useless, she

Elodie had stopped dropping off little treats for her

of missed them, but she wasn't about to

really. Just noticed it's been pretty peaceful lately," Octavia said, turning back to browse a

genius who'd developed the U.N2 drone.

out his tablet and started checking the stock market, making it clear he had little interest in any conversation about

up with Sylvie, Jarrod dropped Octavia off at

since she attended an international school, her mornings weren't too early. When she

had missed a few days after an asthma attack and a short hospital stay. Octavia didn't bother to say hello. They were the

to care, either. She simply took a box of cookies out of her bag and set

diagonally behind her, Octavia immediately recognized the packaging. "Where'd you get those?" she blurted

and took a bite. "Not