f her grief. She had just laid her father to rest-the man who had been her rock, her guide, her entire
ed, and she sank to the ground, her sobs silent at first, then growing louder as they erupted from a place deep within
self, a rare spark of excitement in her heart. The errand was simple: pick up a letter from the post office. But for Anna, it
clutched it tightly, savoring the moment as though it were a precious treasure. Sitting in the car,
r phone
d saw Quinn Ledger's name-the name of her childhood friend, the only friend she t
cked, thick with emotion. "
ent a shiver of dread racing throu
voice trembling, fear creeping
ed, and the phone slipped from her grip, hitting the floor of the car with a hollow thud. Th
body. She tried to cry, but no tears came, as though her grief had frozen inside her. It
r giving the driver her address; her mind was a haze, her thoughts tangled in the chaos of what she'd j
de her heart sink further. Their expressions-heavy with loss-confirmed the unthinkabl
had been mistaken. But there he was, lying motionless on the bed. The man who had hugged her
ering, as if saying the word might
e world seemed to tilt, and darkness rushed in, swallowing her whole. For a mom