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O is for Once Upon a Time

Amelia: March 22nd, 2026

Once upon a time, I was happy. I had been engaged for almost six months, planning a wedding, living a lovely life. And then came the phone call.

I don’t know the number, but something tells me to answer it.

“Hello?” I say, tentatively.

“Is this Amelia Kramer?”

“Speaking.”

“Do you know Calum Cribley?”

“Yes.”

“I’m afraid I have some bad news.” She pauses, and my heart pounds. “Mr. Cribley has passed away. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Excuse me?”

“He came into the hospital this morning from a car accident, and we did everything we could, but we weren’t able to save him.”

I feel my knees give out as I hit the floor.

“You are listed as his emergency contact. If you would like to come down, we can give you his belongings.”

“His belongings?” I repeat the word, even though it doesn’t make sense to me right now.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Okay, I’ll come down.”

“Thank you, and again, I am sorry for your loss.”