Amara sat by the riverbank, her fingers brushing against the cool grass, her thoughts tangled like the wild vines along the water's edge. The sun was beginning to set, casting a soft, golden glow across the land. The familiar sound of the river flowing over stones was a comfort, but today it was almost mocking, its steady rhythm a reminder of how out of sync her heart felt with the world around her.
She hadn't meant to go to the river this afternoon. But the letter had arrived that morning, and all she could do was escape. Kwame's wedding invitation—his new life with someone else. Someone else. Her breath hitched at the thought. Was it really possible that someone else could take his place in her heart?
She let the thoughts come, one after another. The memories of him, of them, together. She closed her eyes and let the past flood over her.