Cherry closed the door the moment Kieran disappeared into the trees.
She didn’t cry at first.
She just stood there, hand still on the doorknob, staring at the empty porch like she could still see him sitting beside her.
The house felt too quiet. Too still. Too full of memories she wasn’t ready to face.
She walked to the kitchen on autopilot, opened a cabinet, pulled out a mug. Set it on the counter. Stared at it.
Then she sank to the floor.
The first sob tore out of her like something breaking loose inside her chest. She pressed her hands to her mouth, trying to muffle the sound, but it didn’t matter — the grief came anyway.
Not just grief for Kieran.
Grief for herself.
For the girl she used to be.
For the marriage she tried so hard to hold together.
For the years she spent pret
