All Chapters of After Three Years: She Wakes Up: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

There was no title in the subject line. And yet, somehow in my heart, I knew what the email would be about even before I read the first few words. Ryland was saying goodbye.“Dearest Ariana,” It began, “I’m sorry for being so strange at lunch today, and for having to leave you so swiftly. It wasn’t fair to you, and I feel I owe you an explanation. The thing is, Friday will be my last day here in San Francisco. HMG offered me a position at our Oxford Campus location as lead supervisor for a pharmaceutical project…”I paused. This was big news. “...and I wanted you to come with me. I had the opportunity to choose anyone I wanted from HMG to be my co-lead, and just like our Columbia University project, only one name sprung to mind when given the choice–you. I had wanted to give you more time to consider, but with your recovery and everything else going on with your life, I couldn’t find the right opportunity to bring it up.” “When you asked me today during lunch about finding you a ne

Taking a deep breath, I rolled my shoulders back and surveyed the garden before me. It was dark, or as dark as it was going to be considering we are so close to the city. Growing up in New York, spending my time between the Big Apple and my family’s country estate near Cornell, I thought of myself as a child of two worlds–both the city and the countryside. Spending all of my holidays with my Grandmother, learning about the McKenna legacy, I was given the opportunity to feel that same connection to the land. The McKennas have always been landowners–farmers and shepherds–with thousands of acres of land to work and protect. Even after our people left the back woods to become soldiers and businessmen, we always kept that sacred connection. Because of that rich family history, the country girl in me knew what it was like to chase fireflies in June, catch crawdads in March, and ice fish in February. I knew how to hike in the dark woods with only a compass and the stars to guide me, light a

My eyes widened in joyful surprise as my lips stretched across my face in untempered glee. Sitting at the dining room table, holding a large, steaming cup of coffee was my favorite person in the whole world–my best friend, Allison Davies. “Allison!” I squealed as she stood and ran towards me, wrapping me in a hug that almost knocked me over. “Oh god, I’ve missed you! When did you get here? How?”“I’ve missed you too, Ari,” her voice cracked, becoming tender. Shaking her head, she looked down at me with pursed lips and added. “And I got here about...." she looked up at the clock on the wall, "two hours ago. You...um...look good.” “Liar,” I laughed, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand as her teasing twisted my lips into a knowing smirk. “I look like shit.”“That’s because you aren’t caring for yourself properly,” she admonished me, pulling me gently by the arm to sit in a chair next to hers. “You can't survive on one piece of stale bread and a cup of sour water.” “Coffee and toas

Feeling a sudden chill all the way down to my bones, I answered the call. “Sorry to disturb you, Miss McKenna, but we were instructed to contact you if there were any changes in your mother’s condition. Can you stop by the facility?”“What happened?” I asked nervously, clutching my phone to keep my had from shaking.“I’m not at liberty to say,” the nurse responded. “She would like to explain it to you in person.” “Of course,” I responded immediately. “I’ll be right there.” “Is something wrong?” Ally placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. Closing my phone, I took a few deep, calming breaths before looking at my friend and responding. “I don’t know.” I watched Allison’s face fall as I explained the situation to her and she nodded, understanding. “Maybe we should stay nearby, just in case she needs you,” she suggested. Swallowing back a small sob, I nodded. “Something might be wrong with my mom, or not. It could be anything. But you should still go on your trip,” I urged her. “D

I coughed. “Excuse me?” “For my bike,” the stranger waved his arms dramatically towards his wrecked ride. “You gonna pay for what you broke? I ain’t made of money, Missy, and this was a one-of-a-kind prototype you just totalled.”I took a step back, glaring at him.He had to be kidding me. What kind of fool drives around on a $500 million dollar e-bike?Not to mention, this path is for human-powered vehicles only–walking, rollerskates, bicycles. Not e-bikes clocking 60mph. If we had actually collided, I’d have been right back in the hospital. And while I’ve apologized over and over, not once has he said “I’m sorry for almost killing you.”Fuming, I placed my hands on my hips and responded with a saucy, “I’m sorry, but I don’t have that kind of money, Sir, but considering we’re BOTH at fault, and you took the risk or riding such an expensive vehicle...”I then paused, giving him the once over from tips of his $20,000 Lucchese boots, through his Double D Ranch jacket to his $6,000 Diam