Unbeknownst to their parents, Violet and Cole had a clandestine 9-month relationship before parting ways following Cole's injury, courtesy of Paige. Despite the messy breakup, Violet managed to maintain a positive connection with the Walters, except...
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The air was thick with late afternoon humidity as Violet wandered across the field, her sneakers pressing into the grass she had once run barefoot through a hundred times. The same stretch of land that used to smell like wildflowers and soil now carried a weight she hadn't been able to face in years.
Her steps slowed as her eyes fell on the spot.
The place where her father had collapsed.
Her chest constricted, breath coming shallow, as though the earth itself was trying to drag her back to that day. She could almost see it again—the panicked shouts, the flurry of motion, her mother's strangled cries, the sirens. It pressed down on her chest until she swore she couldn't breathe.
"Come on, Vi," she muttered to herself, hugging her arms tight. "You can do this."
But she couldn't.
Her throat burned, and with a frustrated groan, Violet spun on her heel and stormed away, her pace quick, almost desperate, as if distance could erase memory.
By the time she reached the side yard, she nearly collided with Katherine, who was carrying a grocery tote filled with bags of bread and cartons of juice.
"Oh hey!" Katherine greeted, her warmth as effortless as always. She shifted the bag higher on her hip and smiled.
Violet forced a small smile, still trying to steady her breathing. "Hey."
Katherine tilted her head slightly, eyes flicking over Violet's flushed cheeks but—mercifully—choosing not to press. "I was just seeing how many mouths we're feeding tonight," she said with a chuckle.
Grateful for the shift in topic, Violet nodded quickly. "Right. Um... Mom's working late. Sage is... going out with his old football friends." Her voice faltered on his name; Sage always carried echoes of her dad, the way he walked, the way he laughed.
"And Juniper—" Violet hesitated, fumbling for a lie. "Juniper won't be coming. She, um... can't keep food down at the moment."
Katherine's brows knit together instantly. "Why? Is she sick?"
"Food poisoning," Violet blurted, the excuse tumbling out too quickly, too rehearsed. She swallowed hard, her smile brittle. "Yeah. So, uh... it'll just be me, Grandma, Phoenix, and Daisy tonight."
Katherine's expression softened, though a trace of concern lingered. "Alright then," she said, adjusting her tote again. "We'll make it work. You know you're always welcome at our table, Vi. Always."
The sincerity in her tone made Violet's chest ache. She nodded, blinking fast, and whispered, "Thanks."
Katherine gave her arm a light squeeze before heading up toward the Walters' porch, leaving Violet rooted in the grass, her heart still tangled in memories she couldn't shake.
