Ten Years a Ward

gentle and patient as he discussed the d

, listening to the voice that

ed the words she ha

e point of

ility. Which university she went to,

eps light, as if she was afraid of

ked around the space she

e fifteen

he would leave thi

s shaped like a chinchilla, a gift from Ethan for her te

now on, I will be like this chi

een her

was all i

d off the lamp. The room

time

e from the back of her closet

gifts Ethan had give

t from a tiny, renowned artisan shop. A custom-b

placed them in

a little emptier, as if a hole

of desolation and opened the

faded, yell

s her

, recording her turbulent childhood after her parents

cidentally s

ut later that night, he had com

and told her, "Ava, you are t

chool and warned the bullies. From then

ly protected

in the diary became neater, an

jor award and told her, "Y

r a rose and said, "I'll

s a message he had written for her

you graduate, you can come work at my

tly, blurring the

her eyes, her ex

ear the diary,

a piece of her past

e threw all the fragments into

heard a noise f

standing in the living room, pulling a suitcase

Ethan said, h

and smiled, walking over.

icate box. Inside was a beautiful little c

mile ti

rely allergi

ved a dessert with mango puree, and she'd had a terrif

the spot and had made the kitchen

every preference,

oe, a hint of displeasure in his tone.

had an expression that s

ched with a

his affection, but he had a

eath, took the box

Chloe. It's

idn't car

he should

ing her decision t