Forever 13

by Amy Courter

Mark and Lynne Larson’s once idyllic life in a wealthy Chicago suburb is torn apart when their only child, Brooke, mysteriously vanishes during her 8th-grade field trip. As they are forced to face the terrifying reality that monsters are real, Lynne is overwhelmed by grief and guilt. Unable to cope with the loss, she spirals into a debilitating depression, so severe that she requires round-the-clock nursing care.

Desperate to restore some sense of normalcy, Mark throws himself into maintaining their shattered world, but his efforts seem futile. As months stretch into years, Lynne’s condition worsens, and Mark is left drowning in his own guilt and frustration, struggling under the weight of their fractured lives.

When Catherine, a new nurse, joins Lynne’s team of caregivers, she brings a calming presence that seems to offer Lynne a flicker of peace. But for Mark, Catherine stirs something deeper—an attraction he can’t ignore, one that threatens the fragile foundation of his marriage.

Mark must confront his growing emotional distance and the temptation that Catherine represents. Can Lynne overcome her grief in time to save her marriage, or will the cracks in their relationship become too wide to mend?

145 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2025