Edith Freed

Edith is the good girl—but she is not naïve. Her life has been deliberately structured around faith, self-reliance, and Genevieve, the sole relationship she has long depended on. Keeping her world small to maintain control. A new chapter begins when coworkers welcome her into the fold, and Edith is nudged outside the comfortable boundaries she set years ago. As her new friendships begin to bud, the unexpected attention received from Bryson and Jerome, a pastor and a police officer, forces Edith to take a chance. As Edith weighs safety against connection, and solitude against possibility, she must decide whether opening her life to more people—and perhaps love—is a risk she’s finally willing to take. This is a story about guarded hearts, quiet courage, and learning that survival is not the same as living.