Melanie's PoV
The icy wind whispers through the streets of Evergreen, carrying with it stray snowflakes and a silence that hangs heavier than the garlands strung from lamppost to lamppost. I stand at the edge of the town square, my gaze fixed on the frostbitten flowers atop freshly turned earth- a stark contrast against the joyous Christmas preparations around me.
"Melanie, honey, we should go inside. It's freezing out here," murmurs a voice that cuts through the chill, trying to wrap me in warmth I can no longer feel.
"In a minute, Sarah," I reply, my breath forming ghostly tendrils in the air. The rawness of loss grips my heart as tightly as the familiar black shawl clutched around my shoulders. My parents' funeral has ended, yet I'm rooted to the spot, unwilling to move forwa
