Abby When Karl finishes telling me about the amazing revelations that he had with Reginald—his father, as I’ve now learned—over coffee, I’m too stunned to speak for a long time. “So,” he says, “I think I’m going to go to his estate. And I’d like you to come.” I blink in surprise, swallow, and
I feel as if I’ve stepped into a fairytale set somewhere in rural southern Italy. In fact, the personal vineyard flanking the front lawn only adds to that feeling. Reginald gives us a brief tour through the enormous foyer, which is sunlit in a golden glow through the large open-air windows. The ma
Abby The large dining room feels surprisingly warm and intimate as the plates are cleared away. I lean back in my chair, letting out a small, satisfied sigh. “I take it that the food was to your liking, Chef Abby,” Reginald says with a smile. I can’t help but grin. The flavor of fresh salmon,
Abby Karl and I step into Reginald’s study, and the faint scent of incense mixed with herbal tea fills my nostrils. The room is large with high ceilings and more open-air windows, but it has an even cozier feel now that the sun has mostly gone down. A large oak desk sits against the far wall, wi
It’s set to our pack’s timezone back in the north. “I always kept it set to your time,” he says. “So I could always feel a little closer to you.” There’s a long silence after that. I can feel Karl stiffen beside me, and then… And then he rushes forward and hugs his father tightly. Tears burst
Abby I step out of the fragrant bath, tendrils of hot steam curling up around me. My skin is flushed pink from the hot water, but I feel more relaxed than I have in a long time. Except, there’s the fact that Reginald’s proposal is still whirling around my head. Karl rises up out of the water a
I sink down onto the edge of the bed and sigh. “Maybe, no matter what we choose, we’ll be missing out on something,” I say. “I guess there is no ‘right’ answer here. But Karl…” Karl lifts his gaze to meet mine, and it’s clear that he knows what I’m about to say before I can even say it. “I do fe
Abby “You’re sure you want to do this?” Karl looks at me and gives my hand as we stand across the street and look up at the small building. The main area of the town is a cluster of tightly-packed buildings, each one more quaint than the last. Stucco walls make way for colorful shutters and wr