ine'

oke, but flowers. White lilies, roses, carnations. Too many. Their sweetnes

ate

no matter how soft the music playing in the backgroun

smi

ee Mrs. Calloway, our old neighbor. Her hair was grayer,

," she whispered, voice drippin

smile. It felt alien, stretched across a

then thought better of it. She gave me one last,

oulders. Breathe, Ja

me I wished I'd never see again. Crestfall had alw

ace as my home. Now it felt li

nough, the

t reall

ks... di

she get

arrangements and rows of polished

ice cutting through

isper like I c

to cut. Eyes dropped, throats cleared, and

remembered her humming as she arranged them in a vase, telling me each b

ere speaki

you o

few feet away, arms crossed, expression cau

cessing," I

ps... like she wanted to say more. Like she wanted to remind me of th

she could. My grief d

elt like walking into quicksand. The closer I got,

mbling as I reached out. Fingers brus

e was re

olently my throat ached, but I swallowed i

smi

... deep, controlled, threaded wit

urn

Va

esence was the same... solid, calm, unreadable. My mot

voice a little too thin. "

ll nod. "I'm sor

sure how to respond.

d the gathered crowd, then back to me. Something un

st tig

ce lowered. "We should speak..

urring in my peripheral vision

then nodded once. "Of co

isappearing into t

y, wrapping my a

drifted through the air. I barely listened. My mind was elsewhere, caught between

yes wer

olarship

to collect,

ves off the gri

r whispers could penetra

n't just Jasm

as

er suspect. The shado

aped against my skin, reminding me of who I used to

my mother tr

rs, offering obligatory condolences, muttered praye

p, too bright, too warm. The world sho

smi

m waiting near the edge of the lot, his

lse s

we

crowd spilling out behind me.

tant," he s

inside m

ded.

ere the noise of voices dulled and the sc

u something," Vale s

"What do

t, pulling out a slim,

is. Said it would explain

ath hi

ised. My fingers shook as I finally took

spered, though part

o mine, steady, unyielding. "But Jasmine... this i

ned. "What are y

re conditions. Things she kept from you for your own

neath me. "Condition

ged quietly. "Yo

under the seal. The envelope opened with a soft

My mother's handwriting curved acr

eyes dragging ov

daugh

ueezed so h

tance is bound

rds bl

mach d

To a co