So when he called last spring, his voice trembling with joy, I knew something big was coming.

“Nana, I’ve met someone. I think she’s the one.”

I cried right there on the phone, happy tears from deep in my heart.

“Tell me about her, dear.”

“Her name’s Cassandra. She’s smart, beautiful, and… Nana, she’s so elegant. Her family owns half the businesses in town—real estate, boutiques, even that fancy golf club. But she’s different. She’s warm.”

I wanted so much to believe him.

I met Cassandra at a brunch her mother hosted at their sprawling estate.

I wore my best dress, the soft green one with the pearl pin Henry gave me for our 15th anniversary. When I arrived at their house, I had to stop myself from staring. It wasn’t a house—it was a mansion with grand columns, fountains, and a driveway that could fit a dozen of my little cottage.