In a small town in Brackenford, southern Frankania, Serena rented a stone cottage with a yard full of her favorite lavender.
She gave herself a new name, Stella, meaning stars in the native language.
She believed that even a fallen star could rise again.
She also adopted a golden retriever named Rocky, because the dog had lost one ear, yet still remained full of warmth for the world, which felt familiar and relatable to her.
Every early morning, Serena would bring Rocky to the bakery in town.
Mary Lively, the warm-hearted owner of the shop, always praised her. "Stella, stars are shining in your eyes."
Then she would insist on slipping an extra macaron into Serena's bag, and wink at Rocky. "This is for my good boy."
At the art college in Silverwick, her supervisor, Justin Perry, sang
