A Birthday and a Burial
I was finally alone in this world.
They wouldn't let me attend Mom's funeral. They wouldn't even let me visit her grave, so all I could do was kneel on the path we used to walk together, silently pleading for her forgiveness.
I didn't dare to cry. I didn't deserve to. Because the hard truth was, I hadn't been able to save her.
After the funeral, Carly came to visit me. She pulled me into a hug, her eyes glistening with tears, and whispered, "Thank you, Lina. Thank you for not ruining my life. The fire is over now, so never bring it up around Dad and Jacob again.