MasukSofia was still watching the woman from the North, who'd returned to her spot by the wall. "Did she just—""Yeah," Maya said."That was—""Yeah."They both looked at me.I couldn't look back. Couldn't meet their eyes because if I did, I'd break completely and we were still in a room full of people w
AvaThe ceremony ended but nobody left. People clustered in small groups, voices low like the volume knob got turned down across the whole room. Staff circulated with tea and coffee that sat untouched on every surface.I tried to disappear into the corner by the windows, but Sofia and Maya followed.
AvaI slipped into the back row just as people were settling, and immediately Sofia and Maya grabbed my hands. Sofia on my left, Maya on my right, both squeezing like I might dissolve if they didn't."Your hands are like ice," Sofia said, rubbing my fingers between hers.I didn't answer.Maya shifte
AvaThe formal living room looked wrong. That was the first thing I noticed when I walked in to check the setup—everything was technically correct, but it still felt like a stage set, like we were all about to perform grief for an audience that didn't actually care.Thomas's photograph sat on the ea
Falco sat down on the grass, patted the spot next to him. I hesitated, then joined him. The ground was cool through my dress, damp from yesterday's rain."Here's the thing," he said, staring up at the sky. "The wolf's not your problem. The anger is. And until you figure out how to deal with it witho
AvaFalco led me past the fountain toward the back corner of the garden where the hedges grew wild and thick. Nobody came back here much—the groundskeeper mostly left it alone, said something about it being good for the birds. Made it private, though. I could still hear voices from the house but the







