~Jennie’s~

“You know what I don’t miss?” I say as I lift my teacup. “Walking on eggshells.”

Ava snorts, nearly spilling her orange juice. “Girl, you used to flinch just hearing Reo’s shoes echo down a hallway.”

I laugh. Not because it’s funny. But because it’s true, and not anymore.

The morning sun wraps everything in this soft warmth. The terrace cushions hug our backs. My silk robe flows around my knees. The jasmine in the planter boxes smells like honey and spice, and the breeze is the perfect kind. It’s calm. It’s clean.

It’s mine.

“I think I just... stopped craving it,” I murmur. “His approval. His apologies. His...