Chapter 1 A smile, a scream, a silence

Anna emerged from the cemetery with tears brimming in her eyes, her steps faltering under the weight of her grief. She had just laid her father to rest-the man who had been her rock, her guide, her entire world. Now, without him, she felt unmoored, as though the ground beneath her feet was no longer solid.

As she passed through the cemetery gates, the reality of his absence settled in her chest like a stone. Her knees buckled, and she sank to the ground, her sobs silent at first, then growing louder as they erupted from a place deep within her. "Where do I even start?" she whispered through trembling lips, her voice breaking under the strain of her sorrow.

Yet, just hours ago, the day had been so full of light. She had left home that morning in her dad's car, humming softly to herself, a rare spark of excitement in her heart. The errand was simple: pick up a letter from the post office. But for Anna, it was an extraordinary moment. It was the first letter she had ever received from the post office-a small but personal milestone.

When she walked out with the envelope in her hands, a radiant smile spread across her face. She had clutched it tightly, savoring the moment as though it were a precious treasure. Sitting in the car, she ran her fingers along the edge of the envelope, anticipation building as she prepared to open it.

Then her phone rang.

The sound jolted her, breaking the joyful stillness. She glanced at the screen and saw Quinn Ledger's name-the name of her childhood friend, the only friend she truly had. But the moment she answered, the lightness in her heart began to fade.

"Anna..." Quinn's voice cracked, thick with emotion. "What are you going to do?"

The urgency in her friend's tone sent a shiver of dread racing through Anna's body. Her smile vanished.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice trembling, fear creeping into her chest like a shadow.

"Your dad..." Quinn's voice broke into sobs. "He had an asthma attack. It was too late when I got there."

The words struck Anna like a physical blow, knocking the air from her lungs. Her hand trembled, and the phone slipped from her grip, hitting the floor of the car with a hollow thud. The joy she had felt just moments ago disintegrated, replaced by a suffocating wave of despair.

Her vision blurred, her hands shook uncontrollably, and a cold numbness spread through her body. She tried to cry, but no tears came, as though her grief had frozen inside her. It was as if time itself had stopped, leaving her suspended in a void of pain and disbelief.

She stumbled out of the car, her legs like jelly, and waved down a passing cab. She didn't even remember giving the driver her address; her mind was a haze, her thoughts tangled in the chaos of what she'd just heard. The ride home felt endless, the city outside the cab window a blur of muted colors and noise.

When she arrived, the sight of her father's siblings standing somberly at the door made her heart sink further. Their expressions-heavy with loss-confirmed the unthinkable. She pushed past them, her chest tight, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps.

She burst into her father's room, hoping against hope that it wasn't true, that somehow Quinn had been mistaken. But there he was, lying motionless on the bed. The man who had hugged her goodbye that very morning, whose smile had been her safe haven, was now still and lifeless.

"No," she whispered, her voice quivering, as if saying the word might undo the terrible truth before her.

The room spun, her legs gave out beneath her, and she crumpled to the floor. The world seemed to tilt, and darkness rushed in, swallowing her whole. For a moment, there was nothing but the void, her grief too vast, too consuming to bear.