But… will she ever find the right life?

Third Part: The Art of Wanting

Nora takes a deep breath, trying to calm the turbulence in her chest. The echo of the crowd’s applause in the pool still vibrates in her mind, but it wasn’t real. Not for her.

—What went wrong? —she asks.

—Nothing went wrong —Mrs. Elm replies—. That life was exactly as it should be. The problem is that you weren’t made for it.

Nora presses her lips together. How can that be true? She had always thought her life had fallen apart because she made the wrong choices, because she wasn’t brave enough to follow the right paths. But now, after trying a life where she was a champion, she feels emptier than ever.

—Maybe I just didn’t choose well —she says—. I need another one.

Mrs. Elm nods with her unwavering patience. She stands up and pulls another book from the shelf.

—In this life, you stayed with the band. You played on stages you never imagined.

Nora takes the book in her trembling hands and opens it.