Grief

DARINA

Men running, women screaming and above them all I heard Sanda’s voice lifting into a howl. I crushed the twins to my chest, wide-eyed and terrified. My legs wanted to run, to see what was happening, but my brain refused to cooperate.

Katherina ran to me, clutching her belly. “Darina! Oh, my God!” She fell down at my feet, sobbing.

I was frozen like a statue with the twins in my arms. They cried just as hard as Katherina. She looked up at me. “His car… oh, my God, his car…”

Something snapped into place in my brain. “Whose car?” Nico and Sal went out early that morning. I put the twins down next to Katherina and my legs carried me out of the house.

When I saw the inferno in front of me, I sank boneless to the ground. “No. No. No.” I couldn’t believe it. Not Nico. Not my mate.

Sanda ran to me, her face contorted with anguish. “Darina, he’s in there. We have to get him out.” She screamed at me, but my ears refused to hear.

“It can’t be. No.” I clawed at the earth beneath me. Sanda