Six Months Later
Vanessa stood under a canopy of fairy lights at the local community center, smiling as she handed out wine glasses. She’d joined a book club, started painting again, and—unexpectedly—started dating.
Not because she needed someone. But because she’d remembered who she was.
Isabelle? He moved into a small apartment across town. They stayed cordial. Sometimes they even shared a coffee when their daughter visited. He never signed the papers with a fight.
Vanessa’s new life wasn’t flashy. But it was hers.
