She walked out, cool, composed, untouched on the outside.
But before she reached that door, I really looked at her. For the first time. Closely.
And I saw it.
The way her breath hitched. The slight tremor in her hands as she gathered her notes. The storm she thought she was hiding.
I should feel triumphant.
After all, I got what I wanted—her agreement. One meeting. A chance to finally talk.
But I don’t.
I leave the building and slide into the back seat of the car, telling the driver to just keep driving along the lakefront. I need air. Space. A moment to breathe.
And I need to talk to David and Flor. The ones who know me beyond the boardrooms and press headlines. Who knew me before her... and after. They’ll help me make sense of this—of her.
I shoot David a quick message, my fingers hesitating for a second before I hit send.
Then I lean back, my gaze drifting to the window.
And that’s when I see it.
The small park.
The one with the red swings.
I ask the driver to pull over.
I get out, walking toward the swings, hands deep in my pockets.
The park is empty, except for an elderly couple sitting quietly on a bench nearby.
And suddenly, it hits me.
* * *
That summer night—after dinner, when we decided to take a walk.
She wore a simple navy dress, sneakers, and that red shawl she always loved.
There was always something red with her. It was her way of saying she was alive. And living every second of it.
We walked along the shore, no one else in sight—as if the whole world belonged to us.
And then we found this little park.
She lit up at the sight of the swings—eyes sparkling, laughter spilling out—and she pulled me along, running toward them.
“Let’s fly,” she laughed, climbing onto the swing, pumping her legs until she was soaring.
“I’m not getting on that thing,” I said, half-laughing, half-shocked.
“You have to try it,” she called back, grinning.
“Della, I’m a grown man,” I said, smiling despite myself. “Not a child.”
“Oh, come on,” she teased, throwing her head back, arms stretched wide like wings as she swung higher and higher.
