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

nto sobs. "He had an asthma attack.

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