Chapter 1Enjoy The Life I Escaped From

I died at forty-five, my body a hollowed-out shell of used-up parts. But when I opened my eyes, I was back in the mountain air of Montana, the sun biting at my skin.

I was standing right outside the staff dorms. David was there, leaning against his truck, checking his watch. We were supposed to drive down to the county clerk’s office to sign our marriage license.

In my past life, this was the day I chained myself to a ghost. Back then, David found out I was pregnant, and then he vanished. He stayed gone for twenty years, chasing a woman named Rose.

He only came back when I was on my deathbed. He didn’t come for me, though. He sat by my side, staring at a faded photograph of Rose—who had died shortly before—and whispered, "If I’d just waited a little longer to sign those papers with you, would things have ended differently?"

* * *

The realization that I had traveled back hit me like a physical blow. David looked younger, his face unlined by the decades of guilt he’d eventually carry.

"Ready, Nora?" he asked, flashing that easy, clean-cut smile that used to make my heart skip.

"I forgot I have to drop off some blueprints at the site office," I lied, my voice steadier than I felt. "Why don’t you head to the clerk’s office first? I’ll meet you there in an hour."

He hesitated, then shrugged. "Sure. Don’t be late. They close at four."

The moment his truck kicked up dust down the trail, I turned and headed the opposite way. I climbed the ridge toward Mrs. Adler’s place. She was an old local who lived in a cabin overlooking the valley.

I spent the morning in her weathered rocking chair, watching the mist roll over the pines. The sun felt different today—heavy, like it was trying to anchor me to this new reality.

Mrs. Adler handed me a mug of hot cider. "Thought you were supposed to be eloping with that engineer today, Nora. What are you doing up here chasing clouds?"

I took a slow sip, the warmth spreading through my chest. "I had a nightmare, Mrs. Adler. I woke up and realized I couldn't breathe."

She patted my hand, her skin like parchment. "Dreams are just shadows, honey. Life is what’s in front of you. Once you’re Mrs. David Miller, you’ll have a house and a life. No use being scared of shadows."

I looked at her and forced a smile. "You’re right. I just needed a moment to think."

Marry David? Not in this lifetime. Not in any lifetime.