She noticed that these were the names of her townspeople. Her hand and eyes stopped at Mr. Stilson’s
name. “Stilson, Adam.”
With a beating heart, she opened the book. It was an album, showing pictures form when he was
young. As soon as she started skimming the pictures, she found out that it was not just an ordinary
album. She saw in front of her eyes every single experience Mr. Stilton went through. At the age 7, his
dog got hit by a car and he never stopped crying during the dog’s funeral. When he was a teenager, he
fell crazily in love with a beautiful, mesmerizing woman but had his heart broken after finding out that
she was cheating on him. She could even hear his thoughts and feel his emotions…The countless hours
he spent drinking and playing with girls he didn’t know the name of to forget the woman. The pain
from his mother’s death. And finally, his resolution to never, ever love again…Taking Riley on a trip to
Mr. Stilton’s past, it was as if the album was asking her, ‘Can you really love a guy like this? Can you
accept all his past and understand him for who he is?’
Next to the bookshelf was a basket containing little bottles and pills. “Love Potion: Makes the
Person Fall Infinitely in Love with you,” the label read. Without reaching for them, Riley headed out
of the factory. She felt ready to embrace all the pain Mr. Stilton had felt and try to open his heart once
more. She realized that everyone in Srington must have loved at one point in their lives. Passionately.
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