Phoebe's POV
I didn't hold Viola responsible for what went down between her and Kevin—if our positions were reversed, I would've bolted too.
We were even, and I knew we'd never be close. That ship had sailed long ago.
"You look... great," Viola stammered, breaking the uncomfortable silence as we strolled through the garden.
The same garden where Elder Tricia and I had our first talk. We settled on the identical bench beneath the wisteria trees.
I clutched my notepad and pen, ready to scribble down whatever I needed to communicate.
"I'm not sure what to say to you. But I need to apologize for everything that brought you pain, whether I caused it directly or not. I never wanted to hurt you."
She meant Kevin. I became his target the moment she disappeared.
[You don't need to. You did nothing wrong,] I scrawled and showed her.
"When I first laid eyes on you, you were so young." Viola gazed up at the crisp blue sky, inhaling deeply.
