The elegant melody of the piano continued to flow softly through the restaurant, as if trying to soothe all weariness and unease. Yet, Regina's heart remained untouched by the delicate sounds, sinking deeper into its own turmoil.
She let out a self-deprecating laugh, turning her head to peer through the misted glass, watching the long limousine slowly disappear from her sight…
Waldo was busy—too busy, it seemed, to care about her hopes, too busy to stop and check on her, too busy dealing with his girlfriend, too busy continuing to leave marks in her life that she could never erase.
The soft piano music became nothing more than background noise, failing to calm the growing weight in her heart. Her eyes remained fixed on the departing car, unable to look away, as if the smoke rising from it could reveal images of the past. She feared seeing her father and that man together, afraid that their presence would remind her not only of the past but of the mistakes that had shaped her life.
