Page 128 of At First Flight
“All of it. Mornings. Bedtime stories. Arguments over grocery lists. I want every damn ordinary moment if it means I get to have them with you.”
I press a kiss to his ribs. “Then we’ll build that. Together.”
I fall asleep holding his hand.
Chapter Twenty-seven – Lila
The email stares back at me like it knows every secret I’ve tried to bury.
The cursor blinks beside my message, a quiet pulse that mirrors the rhythm in my chest. I’ve typed the words at least six times now, maybe more, and deleted them just as quickly. Not because I don’t know what I want. But because admitting it, putting it in writing, and pressing send… makes it real.
Fully funded. Prestigious. Career-defining.
The kind of opportunity that people fight their whole lives to get. The kind of dream that used to keep me up at night with excitement and hunger. That glittery version of success I used to chase like it could save me from myself.
And now?
Now it feels like an echo of someone I used to be. Especially with the news of the Hoolihans trial gaining worldwide coverage. Marin made sure the family would be locked away for a very long time. She hasn’t needed my deposition so far, but I’m certain it’s coming. And I’m ready. With Dean by my side, I’m prepared for anything.
I hover the mouse over the send button one last time, my other hand resting lightly on the kitchen counter where Evelyn’s butterfly jar sits beside the toaster. I glance at the pale green chrysalis hanging from the twig, still and silent, holding its breath like me.
Maybe we’re both about to break free.
With a soft exhale, I click.
Thank you for the opportunity, but I respectfully decline.
The moment the message disappears from my screen, something inside me exhales. Something deep and tight and aching. Like I’ve finally loosened the last knot tethering me to the life I thought I needed in order to be worthy.
My phone buzzes before I can even take a sip of my now-cold coffee. I don’t have to check the screen to know who it is.
Ashvi:
So??
Me:
I turned it down. Officially.
Ashvi:
HOLY SHIT.
Ashvi:
You just broke up with a prestigious fellowship. How do you feel?
Me:
Lighter.
Ashvi:
Like breathing again?
Me:
Exactly that.
