82. Grief and Loss
Candace
When I arrive at my mother's house, everything seems silent, deserted, as if solitude was laying a trap for me. I had planned it that way: arrive late, avoid awkward encounters, slip away from the inevitable chat with my sister. But I'm not that lucky.
"Candace!" her voice calls me as soon as I cross the threshold. "You took your time. Can we talk?"
I pause for a moment, take a deep breath, and force a smile that hurts less than it truly does.
"Sure! Let's go. What do you want to talk about?" I replied with feigned lightness.
She smiles, that smile that lights up her face like when we were kids playing in the garden at home. She takes my arm with the same ease as back then, as if the years hadn't passed, as if the secrets didn't weigh between us. We go up t
