How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Elodie glanced over, her eyes catching on something she wasn't meant to see.

As Jarrod helped his grandmother steady herself, Elodie's gaze landed, just for a moment, on his crisp white shirt collar-and there it was, a faint smudge of brownish lipstick.

She looked away immediately, heart skipping.

Before Jarrod and Sylvie got back from shopping together...

Had they been kissing?

Or-

Was it something more?

No wonder Jarrod seemed to be in such a good mood-

Turns out he'd just come back from a little romantic escapade.

"You two stand together-Elodie, link your arm with his." His grandmother's cheerful voice snapped Elodie out of her thoughts.

She didn't ask questions.

What good would it do? She'd only be humiliating herself.

Best to pretend she hadn't seen a thing.

When Elodie glanced up, she saw the old woman holding up her phone, beaming at the sight of the handsome pair. "Let me take a few photos. I'll send them to your great-aunt."

Elodie hadn't expected her first photo with Jarrod to happen like this.

makes you happy," Jarrod replied, not refusing, which took Elodie

a photo together, he'd never shown any interest. Now that his grandmother was asking,

linking arms with

Elodie stood still.

the issue,

of exasperation, his grandmother stepped forward and hooked

beneath her palm, but she looked calmly

camera.

them smiled. Their expressions were cool, almost

a smile from them, the old

went, taking photo after photo until Jarrod finally dropped

go

excitement, started chatting with her sister on her phone. "I've sent them to your great-aunt—and to you,

nodded and started

just had their second baby-there's a

silent, looking

grandmother and great-aunt had always

the celebration

they'd actually

was up

back and replied lightly, "Sure.

agreed, Elodie had

headed upstairs,

them, his grandmother smiled so wide her cheeks

wasn't it good for young

Jarrod's study as he was about