She could post her deepest thoughts on social media without a care in the world, even if those thoughts were filthy.
I didn't take her hand.
"My apologies."
Her smile stiffened. She pulled her hand back, awkward and deflated.
My gaze drifted to the headstone beside them.
"Lucille Harding?"
"Who was she to you?"
"Someone from our past." Jackson cut me off. "A close friend of mine and Millicent's. She just had bad luck. Passed away young."
"That's right." Millicent nodded along eagerly.
"She was my best friend. It's been seven years since she died, and my husband and I come to visit her every holiday."
"Seven whole years. She's probably been reborn by now. Maybe she's a sweet little girl somewhere, running around without a care in the world?"
Millicent said it lightly, as if it were a joke.
Nobody laughed.
The silence turned uncomfortable.
Several seconds passed before I let a slow smile cross my face.
"What a beautiful friendship. I envy it."
Arthur glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
"Sophia, why don't you stay and chat with Mr. Gilbert and his wife? I'll head over first."
"Of course." I nodded.
Every year, it was the same. Arthur came here to pay his respects to his late wife—the one who still held his heart.
I watched the tender scene from a distance.
Millicent sucked in a breath, lowered her voice, and leaned in close.
"Mrs. Stephens, does your husband really bring you along every time he visits his late wife's grave? You must have nerves of steel."
I looked down with a quiet smile.
"Well, everyone has a past, don't they?"
"I had an ex-boyfriend once. We were deeply in love. We came this close to getting married."
Jackson lifted his head at that, his gaze drifting toward me with a flicker of scrutiny.
Millicent's eyes went wide.
"Really? If you two were so in love, why did you split up? What happened?"
I glanced up at Jackson.
And let out a soft, derisive laugh.
"He couldn't resist the temptation of my best friend. Ended up in her bed."
The moment the words left my mouth, the air went dead still.
Jackson and Millicent stared at each other, the color draining from both their faces in an instant.
A layer of indescribable embarrassment settled over Millicent's expression.
"Mrs. Stephens."
Jackson cut me off with a frown. "We have somewhere to be. We should get going."
He took Millicent by the arm and turned to say goodbye.