Valentine #10 October 1970

Alison watches Hal wait at the airport, drawn in by his quiet hope and the story of the girl he’s been promised to in Canada. As she shares her own loss—Roger, gone in a plane crash—she finds unexpected comfort in Hal’s longing, and a fragile connection begins to grow. The next day, she sees a lonely girl, Lisa, looking for someone at the same gate, and the weight of her choice settles in.

In "null," Tammy and Steve prepare for a moment that could define their future—Tammy on the brink of receiving a major fashion design trophy, their lives poised on the edge of success. As they share a quiet drink, the warmth of their connection is cut short by the distant glow of flames: Tammy’s Boutique is on fire, and Steve’s failure to insure it threatens everything they’ve built.

Stella is shaken when a man claiming to be Steve reveals he’s actually Otto Hans, producing papers to prove it. Confused and unsettled, she tells Rod, who urges her to rest while he investigates. But Stella can’t sleep—something about the name Otto Hans gnaws at her memory. When she finally recalls that Otto Hans was the border guard killed alongside Frank, she rushes back to the Alpine Village. There, she finds the ski instructor dead—and Frank standing over the body.