Grace
A few days had passed, and the wait was torture. Anna’s warning about “no strenuous activity” had felt almost like a cruel joke, because the hunger between Grace and Kaleb simmered hotter with every second they were forced to hold back. But Anna had been right about one thing—Grace’s recovery was faster than either of them had imagined. The bandaged wound on her throat had closed completely within the week, leaving only faint pink traces. Anna promised even those would fade soon, vanishing like a bad dream.
The forced pause in their intimacy gave them both time to tend to other corners of their lives. Grace found herself diving back into her classes, determined to regain her footing as though nothing had ever shaken her routine. Julie Angwin, a retired history teacher who had step
