Chapter 1

I died peacefully in my sleep, well into my eighties.

Kevin, my husband of sixty years, was by my side. Jack, my best friend since kindergarten, had visited just hours before. They were constants, my rocks.

Then, I woke up.

Seventeen again. Senior year. The air in my childhood bedroom smelled of old books and the cheap lavender air freshener I'd loved.

It was the morning of college application day.

This time, things felt... off.

Downstairs, Mom was humming, making pancakes. The normalcy of it was jarring.

At school, the guidance counselor's office buzzed.

Mr. Henderson, our counselor, beamed at me. "Emily! Ready to lock in those Ivy League choices with Kevin and Jack?"

My heart did a little flip. Princeton. That was always our dream. Shared dorms, late-night study sessions, the whole nine yards.

"Almost, Mr. Henderson," I said, my voice sounding younger, higher than I remembered. "Just waiting for them."

I found a seat, my fingers tracing the "Princeton University" pamphlet in my bag.

The door opened. Kevin walked in, all broad shoulders and easy grin, captain of the football team. Jack followed, quieter, glasses perched on his nose, a National Merit Scholar.

My breath caught. My boys.

Mr. Henderson clapped his hands. "The dream team! So, Princeton for all three? Or has Harvard or Yale swayed anyone?"

I looked at them, expecting the familiar, enthusiastic nods.

Kevin cleared his throat. "Actually, Mr. Henderson, we've been thinking."

Jack nodded, looking unusually serious. "We're going to apply to State University. Locally."

The words hit me like a physical blow. State?

Mr. Henderson frowned. "State? But... your grades, your scores. You're shoo-ins for the Ivies."

"We know," Kevin said, his gaze flicking to someone behind me. "But Brittany needs support. Her family's going through a tough time. If she doesn't get into State with a scholarship, she'll have to work full-time."

Brittany. The head cheerleader. Blonde, perky, and, in my previous life, a non-entity.

I turned. She was standing by the door, doe-eyed, a picture of fragile concern.

"It's just... if we're at State, we can help her study, you know? Make sure she gets through," Jack added, not meeting my eyes.

My dream. Our dream. Shattered for Brittany.

I felt a cold knot form in my stomach. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

"Emily?" Mr. Henderson asked, his voice gentle. "Are you... still set on Princeton?"

I looked at Kevin, then at Jack. Their faces were earnest, full of a misplaced heroism I didn't recognize.

They weren't looking at me. They were looking at Brittany, who offered them a watery, grateful smile.

"Actually," I said, my voice surprisingly steady, "I was thinking about California. My aunt lives out there. Maybe UC Berkeley."

The surprise on their faces was almost comical.

Kevin frowned. "Berkeley? But that's so far. And we always said..."

"Things change, Kevin," I said, a new resolve hardening inside me.

This life was already different. Maybe it was time I made it my own.