JULIAN

I wasn’t surprised that rosie was overwhelmed, given the huge turnaround her life had taken, but out of all the things she was feeling, gratitude didn’t need to be one of them. I tried to convey that as best as I could.

She calmed down quickly, and it was another glimpse at just how composed my princess was for a girl who was just eighteen years old. It was both beautiful and tragic. I could only imagine the years she’d spent in much bigger shoes than the ones she should have been wearing.

“Did you write a chapter today?” she asked, and I directed her to my laptop, in...