The Alistair Mansion's family room was filled with candlelight and the scent of roses. "Can't Help Falling in Love" played softly from the speakers, setting the mood for the couples scattered throughout the room. All six Alistair siblings were there, but only one stood alone.
Victoria Alistair, the eldest sister and a flamboyant actress, giggled playfully as she kissed the cheek of her boyfriend, Amir Al Fahad, an Arab prince. Her red dress swayed as she rested her head on his shoulder. "You know, Amir, if we get married, I could be a princess," she teased.
Amir chuckled. "You'll always be a queen in my heart."
In another corner, Rebecca Alistair, the ambitious CEO and second eldest, sat elegantly on the sofa, sipping wine with her boyfriend, Ethan Zhao, a corporate director from Singapore. They were deep in a business strategy discussion, but the affection in their eyes was unmistakable.
Madison Alistair, the third sibling and a supermodel, was joking around with Lea Marie Dubois, her French model girlfriend. Madison, always cheerful and dressed in her signature purple crop top, laughed as Lea whispered something in her ear. "If you keep teasing me, I'll fall in love with you all over again."
By the fireplace, Davis Alistair, the fourth sibling and the only brother, a rock musician, sat on the floor with a guitar in his lap, strumming a gentle melody. Akina Kurosawa, his Japanese singer girlfriend, leaned against his chest, eyes closed, savoring the music.
Meanwhile, Corina Alistair, the youngest sibling and a fearless artist, was sketching Malik Carter, her boyfriend, a fine arts professor. Malik smiled slightly as he watched her pencil dance across the paper. "I look even more handsome when you draw me," he joked.
Amidst all this warmth, only Sadie Alistair, the fifth sibling, sat alone. The brilliant doctor with braided hair clutched her cup of tea, staring at the couples with an empty expression.
Silently, she stood up, grabbed her coat, and slipped out of the mansion unnoticed.
---
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Sadie walked alone in the cold February air, heading toward a small cemetery on the outskirts of town.
Beneath a large banyan tree, she stopped in front of a gravestone.
**William "Will" Everett**
**2000 - 2018**
*"Forever in our hearts."*
Sadie took a deep breath, then knelt down, placing a bouquet of forget-me-nots on the quiet ground.
"Hey, Will…" Her voice was soft, trembling. "Today marks seven years since you left."
The cold wind blew, carrying her thoughts back to 2018. Will—her first love, the boy who always made her laugh in high school—the one who had promised to always be with her. But cancer had taken him away, on Valentine's Day.
Sadie clenched her fists. "If only you were still here…" she whispered.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
---
Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Victoria and Madison were flipping through an old photo album, reminiscing.
As they turned a page, Madison suddenly stopped. "Hey, who's this?"
Victoria glanced at the photo. It showed a teenage Sadie smiling sweetly beside a brown-haired boy with blue eyes. On the back of the picture, a small handwritten note read:
**Will & Sadie – Valentine's Day 2017**
Madison looked at Victoria. "Isn't this Sadie's old boyfriend?"
Victoria frowned. "Yeah… but why hasn't she ever mentioned him again?"
When Sadie returned home, they were waiting for her in the living room.
Victoria held up the photo. "Sadie, who is this?"
Sadie froze, her face turning pale.
Madison looked at her gently. "Sadie?"
Sadie bit her lip. Then, in a near-whisper, she said, "He's gone… on Valentine's Day, 2018."
Silence filled the room.
Madison covered her mouth, eyes widening. "Oh, Sadie… I'm so sorry, I didn’t know."
Sadie gave a small, sad smile. "I never talked about him… because I didn't want to remember. But I also can’t forget."
---
The next day, all the Alistair siblings gathered.
Without many words, they accompanied Sadie to Will’s grave.
Davis, usually brash and full of curses, simply said softly, "Will would want to see you happy."
Rebecca placed a comforting hand on Sadie’s shoulder. "You're not alone."
Sadie looked at them, one by one. For the first time in years, she didn’t feel alone.
As they returned home, she made a big decision.
---
The following day, Sadie sat in a salon chair.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror, taking a deep breath. "Pixie cut," she said firmly.
As her long hair fell to the floor, she felt lighter, as if she was shedding the weight that had held her down for so long.
When she stepped out of the salon with her new short hair, someone was watching her from a distance.
Dr. Ravi Choi.
The man who had always seen Sadie as just a fellow doctor now looked at her differently. There was something in his eyes.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Maybe… this was the start of something new.