She had no intentions of telling her parents that he was coming up there again. She could not bear the rejection she felt from them. It had been their ultimate undoing the first time. She could not handle making her parents disappointed at her again.

She was gripped again with grief that had been presence since they day she had told him she was leaving him. Her chest constricted beneath her clothes. Her face contorted in pain. She hid her face in her hands so her parents did not question her reaction. She had tried to explain to him, but she knew he didn’t understand. She felt weak every time she tried to put her feelings into words. Her lips froze when the words of understanding tried to pass them.

The sharp ring of the doorbell snapped her out of her self-imposed guilt trip. She looked up at her parents. Neither of them moved. She uncurled from her position on the couch and walked to her front door. She opened it, but no one was there. She went to shut the door when she noticed a rose lying on a note.