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."

smiled gently. "Glad to

a woman's photo on

A woman?

a second,

the night at Silverstein Mansion. He'd

study there, and the next morning, as

just heading out

climbed right into his

her, eyebrow raised. "What are

school, obviously. Aren't

today? I miss her, thought I'd say hi before

always called Sylvie "sister-in-law." Never

be downstairs soon, she

her. "What do you

a strand of hair, thinking. Elodie cared so much about her brother, always wishing and pleading to be acknowledged as his sister-in-law, but Octavia

Elodie didn't

field, and Octavia wanted to go into that field herself. Sylvie

was good at running a home-her cooking and

totally useless, she

had stopped dropping off little treats for her

but she wasn't about

peaceful lately," Octavia said, turning back to browse a

idolized the genius who'd developed the U.N2 drone. Someday, she'd love

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

with Sylvie, Jarrod dropped Octavia off

about to graduate next year, but since she attended an international school, her mornings weren't too early. When

bother to say hello. They were the same

to care, either. She simply took a box of

the packaging. "Where'd you get those?" she blurted

look and took a bite.