Chapter 1

The morning sun filtered through Laura’s bedroom curtains, illuminating her bare skin as she stood in front of the mirror. At 50, her body was still stunning—full, rounded hips, a narrow waist, and large 34E breasts that defied gravity.

She sighed and got dressed, choosing a modest blouse that concealed her figure. In the five years since her husband’s death, she’d had little interest in her appearance or in the attention of men. The loneliness had crept up on her, isolating her from friends and community. Most days she barely spoke, trapped in a monotonous routine of work and chores.

Laura walked to the coffee shop, craving the bustle of people around her. But as she entered, a familiar wave of anxiety rose in her chest. Everyone seemed paired up or engaged in lively conversations from which she felt excluded.

She ordered a latte and sat by the window, watching couples stroll by on the sidewalk, arm in arm. An old longing stirred inside her, for the warmth and intimacy she’d lost.

A group of men in business suits took the table next to her, talking and joking with ease. Laura looked away, a flush creeping up her neck as she felt their eyes move over her. She clutched her mug, acutely aware of the fullness of her breasts beneath the blouse.

After all these years, she still craved to be seen. But she tucked her shoulders in, shrinking into herself, as if she could disappear from view.

The coffee shop hummed with chatter and the aroma of espresso—a lively scene that only magnified Laura’s solitude. She finished her drink and left, the familiar ache for companionship trailing her all the way home.