Phillip picked up a hair tie from the table and gently pulled my hair back, securing it with ease. The simple action caught me off guard.

For a moment, I froze.

A memory surfaced—one from the day I died. Back then, my life flashed before my eyes, a collection of scenes rushing past. But none of them made me feel warm. None of them held happiness.

It hit me then.

When I was alive before, I never had a moment worth missing.

That had to change.

I wanted to live differently this time.

We talked for a while after that, Phillip’s voice a steady presence as I felt my body...