From She Had Already Chosen
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She told me how much to take. I left what I thought she might miss. Whose was it, after that?
Front and back
From the kitchen to the garden.
What this book offers
A life with room for her own choices.
Being close to someone means learning when to help and when to listen. In these four stories, Wyona's preferences have weight, even when other people think they already know what she needs. Her wit and resolve make the small decisions feel as personal as they are.
For a parent, a relative, or anyone who values their independence, this book offers the pleasure of a character who keeps speaking for herself. Read it together as an opening to ask what matters to them, and give their answer room.
Inside Gift Three
Four stories made to stay.
- IShe Had Already Chosen
- IIHe Asked for the Window Open
- IIIThey Finished Her Sentence
- IVThe Chair Was Still Hers
Original stories, paintings throughout the book, and a page to write who it is for, who it is from, and the date you give it.
The paintings inside Still Her Own
Select a painting to see it in full.
Who will you give it to?
For someone whose preferences, voice, and choices matter to you. A gift for an older parent or a loved one receiving care, and for the people learning to listen more closely.
For adult readers who enjoy stories of family and later life. Read the excerpt below to see whether this is the book for the person you have in mind.
A moment inside the book
She Had Already Chosen
An excerpt from Still Her Own by Sophi Garcia.
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Mara came on Thursday carrying a paper bag and no explanation.
The bag was narrow and folded twice at the top. It might have contained bread. It might have contained documents. She placed it beneath the telephone table and removed her coat.
Perla looked at the bag.
“What did you bring?”
“Nothing for you.”
“That usually means something unpleasant.”
“Not today.”
Mara hung her coat beside the door.
The morning had begun with rain but had changed its mind. Water clung along the windowsills. Beyond the glass, the garden held the dark shine of things recently washed.
Wyona sat at the kitchen table with one hand around her tea.
“You are early,” she said.
Mara glanced at the clock.
It had not worked since before she returned to the house.
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
“How early?”
Wyona checked her watch.
“Twenty-three minutes.”
Mara sat.
“Then you may have them back.”
Perla brought a third cup.
She had pinned her hair at the back of her neck. The pin was old tortoiseshell and had lost one tooth. Several silver strands had escaped near her ear.
Mara noticed.
“You are going somewhere.”
“I go places.”
“You changed your blouse.”
“I own more than one.”
Wyona drank her tea.
“She has an appointment.”
Perla looked at her.
“I was going to say it.”
“You had not.”
“I had begun.”
“You brought tea.”
“That is not the opposite of beginning.”
Mara moved her cup aside.
“What appointment?”
Perla touched the loose hair near her ear.
“I am having it cut.”
Mara smiled.
“How short?”
Perla set the teapot down.
“Here.”
She drew one finger along the line of her jaw.
Wyona looked at her.
“That is short.”
“Yes.”
“It will expose your neck.”
“I have had a neck for some time.”
“The weather is changing.”
“I own scarves.”
Wyona said nothing.
Perla sat beside Mara.
“I have thought about it for three months.”
“Why today?” Mara asked.
“Because the woman had an opening.”
“That is not why.”
Perla considered.
“Because this morning I was tired of finding hair in the drain.”
Mara nodded.
That was enough.
Wyona watched Perla’s pinned hair.
It had once reached the middle of her back.
When they were girls, their mother washed it in a metal basin on Sundays. Perla sat between her knees while water moved through the dark length.
Wyona had been allowed to rinse.
Not wash.
Their mother said she used too much soap.
Later, when Perla’s hair turned silver, Wyona had watched the change happen slowly enough to pretend it was not happening at all.
“Who is cutting it?” she asked.
“The place near the post office.”
“The woman with the pink windows?”
“The windows are not pink.”
“They were painted by someone who believes pink is a neutral color.”
Perla reached for the sugar.
“I have been there before.”
The story continues in Still Her Own.
© 2026 Sophi Garcia. All rights reserved.
A moment to keep
Golden Drops of Life
Four stories. Four questions to sit with.
From He Asked for the Window Open
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He pointed to the window. I listened to his breathing. Which of us was answered?
From They Finished Her Sentence
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She was still speaking. I wrote down what I already had. Whose answer is in the chart?
From The Chair Was Still Hers
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I moved what might not hold. She asked me to put it back. Who was I keeping it from?
A story to read. A book to give.
The editions
Give a physical book
Hardcover gift edition
A book to hold, inscribe, and place in someone’s hands.
A gift for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a visit made special.
We’re preparing this hardcover gift edition with care. Ordering opens once our final quality checks are complete.
Tell me when I can orderPrices and ordering details will appear here when each edition is ready. You can read the excerpt and explore all three books today.
Gift-edition design preview: the gold page edges show the proposed finish. Final print details will be confirmed before ordering.
Large-print gift edition in preparation · English
Before you choose
A few useful details
Where does this book fit in the collection?
Still Her Own is gift three in Why We Miss, the Wyona Lan collection. It contains the four stories listed above. Start with The Ones Still Here to enter Wyona’s world, then continue through the three books.
Could this be a gift for someone in long-term care?
It may suit someone who enjoys adult literary fiction about family and later life. You might read a passage together during a visit, or leave the book for them to enjoy at their own pace. Choose with their interests and reading comfort in mind.
Can I check the text before choosing?
We’re preparing the book interiors in large print, with 18-point story text. Use the excerpt’s text-size buttons to find a comfortable reading size.
What kind of stories are these?
These are works of fiction about relationships, aging, care, memory, and personal choices. They include illness, loss, and difficult family moments alongside warmth and everyday humor.
More from Wyona Lan
Continue the collection.
Gift One
The Ones Still Here
For the people who have been beside us all along.
Gift Two
A Little More Light
Restoration does not arrive as a new beginning.
The next chapter
Be there when the books arrive.
The hardcover gift editions are in preparation. Ordering opens once our final quality checks are complete. Leave your email for release news, confirmed prices, and ordering details.
Planning a gift? We’ll share shipping information when it is confirmed, so you can choose with time to spare.