CHAPTER 1: THE FACE BEHIND THE COUNTER
Daniel didn’t move.
His hand tightened around the edge of the table so hard his knuckles turned white. The café around him kept flowing—cups clinking, rain tapping against the windows, soft jazz humming from hidden speakers—but all of it felt like it had been shoved underwater.
Behind the counter, the waitress stood still.
She had dark hair pulled back loosely, a tired expression, and eyes that lifted slowly… as if she had felt his stare before she even saw him.
And then she looked at him.
The moment their eyes met, Daniel’s breath broke.
No. It couldn’t be.
Not her.
Not Elena.
His wife.
The woman who had died three years ago in a car accident—or so he had been told.
Lily tugged at his sleeve. “Dad… why is mommy wearing that clothes?”
Daniel couldn’t answer. His throat had sealed shut.
The waitress quickly looked away, turning to wipe the counter with shaking hands. But Daniel saw it—the flicker of recognition she tried to hide.
May you like
And that was worse than denial.
That was confirmation of something impossible.
