A System's Cruel Joke

ey stood before her, their arms crossed, their faces grim. Clara was nowh

appointed father. "She is trying her best to fit in, and all you do is push her away. She

filled with reproach. "She thinks you hate her. After e

y had no idea. They saw Clara' s carefully constructed fa

from me?" she aske

a small, worn music box. It was a gift from Daniel and Ethan, given to Olivia on her si

was just in Olivia's room, and I saw this. It's so beautiful." She looked up, her eyes f

t few words. The implicati

ly. He looked from Clara' s pleading

d, his voice firm. "You have so many things.

livia protested, her voice weak. It was

we can buy you a new one. A better one. This is just an old th

box from her hands, and then turned back to Olivia as if expecting her to object. When she

aid with a warm smi

, Olivia," Ethan promised, as if that could possibly compe

parable. The tune it played was from a song they had written together as kids, a silly song about their adventures

iven that promise a

teary eyes that only Olivia could see. "Thank you," she sobbed. "Th

Olivia felt a wave of nausea. She turned and walked

Clara was playing it, over and over, the sound a constant, mocking reminder of her loss. It was

block out the sound, but she could still hear it. The sound s

ain began to creep back into her bones. It started in her joints, a deep, grinding ach

le, her vision blurring. The

face a mixture of concern and confusion a

, his voice hesita