Stella's POV

The car door opened slowly, as if time itself had slowed down just to torture me.

The first thing I saw were the heeled boots, then the hem of a beige trench coat that fell perfectly to her knees. She lifted her face, and when the streetlight hit her features, my breath caught.

"It took a little effort to find you, Stella Harper." Her voice was playful, with no hostility at all. It sounded rehearsed, like she'd practiced that line the entire drive here.

"Elaine…" My voice came out barely above a whisper.

The last time I'd seen that woman, the circumstances had been completely different. Looking at her now, it was hard to believe she'd been in an accident just weeks ago. And yet there she was, standing in front of my house, filling my head with a dozen unsettling thoughts all at once.

"I didn't mean to show up unannounced, but…" She shrugged, holding a paper bag in her hands. "I didn't see another way."

I glanced back. The twins had their faces pressed to the