Page 96 of Our Little Moments

Just when I thought her concert couldn’t be more enchanting, butterflies appear.

Glowing green and impossibly vibrant, their wings pulse softly as they flutter through the air, leaving trails of light that shimmer like falling stars.

I knew from the first day I laid eyes on her that Stella Brookstone is pure magic.

The butterflies drift across the temple, their reflections shimmering beneath them from their glow. It’s beautiful, but Stella . . .

God, Stella. She’sbeautiful. She’s always been beautiful. But tonight, she’s breathtaking.

Her dress, a deep, shimmering blue, catches the light of her magic with every movement, making it look like she’s wrapped in the night sky itself. Her eyes shine with an intensity that feels like it could cut through any darkness. They look so alive, so bright, that it feels impossible to look anywhere else.

For a moment, her gaze finds mine across the room, and I swear she smiles just for me.

I smile back, caught in her orbit, unable to do anything else.

The music swells then, the tempo quickening, each note bursting with life. Her hands blur across the keys as the melody builds, carrying us higher and higher, feeling every emotion she felt as she crafted her songs.

My phone buzzes in my pocket.

The vibration feels jarring, out of place against the beauty of the moment. I pull it out quickly, glancing at the screen.Isabella.

My heart sinks.

I slip out of the temple quickly, the music growing faint as I step into the cool night air. “Isabella? What’s wrong?”

“Adrian . . .” Her voice is trembling, barely more than a whisper, but the fear in it hits me violently.

“What’s happening?” I ask as gently as I can, already moving toward my car.

“There’s a storm,” she says, her voice breaking and my heart right along with it. “It came out of nowhere. The power’s out. We’re okay for now, but it’s—” She starts sobbing and my heart pounds lightning fast.

A storm.Of course, it had to be a storm, I think bitterly.

My chest tightens, memories clawing their way to the surface. The night we lost our parents. The rain. The winds. The storm. The heartbreaking news the next morning. The crushing helplessness of it all. I shake my head, forcing the thoughts away.

“I’m on my way.”

I hang up and get in my car, my hands shaking as I fumble with the keys. Guilt churns in my stomach as the engine roars to life. I was here, completely caught up in Stella’s world, while my sisters were left to face their worst fear.

All I can think as I race back to my hometown is that, once again, I was away when my sisters needed me the most.

Stella

“Thank you, everyone! It was a delight to be back on stage for you. I can’t wait to come back!”

The crowd erupts into cheers, applause echoing in the room. Pride swells in my chest, nearly overwhelming me. The greenbutterflies of my magic linger in the air, flickering softly before fading away.

I take in the faces of the audience, their joy reflecting my own, and for a moment, I let it wash over me.

I did it.I really did it.

I chased my own dreams and I’m proud of myself. I did what my younger self dreamt of but believed to be impossible. I am finally living my life on my terms.

I step away from the stage and toward the people who matter most to me.

“You did it!” Derek’s voice rings out first as he wraps his arms around me in a tight hug.

I hug him back even tighter and he laughs.

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