Angela’s POV
The sunlight poured through my bedroom window, golden and soft, but it did little to ease the weight on my chest. I stared blankly at the ceiling, my thoughts a tangled mess. My phone buzzed on the nightstand, but I ignored it. I wasn’t ready to face anyone, not yet.
The silence was suffocating, but it gave me nowhere to hide. Memories crept in, sharp and relentless, playing in my mind like a movie I couldn’t pause. Lyra and I, once inseparable. Lyra and I, laughing until we cried, wearing matching outfits, sharing dreams and secrets.
Lyra and I. How had it come to this?
I sat up, rubbing my temples as the past clawed at me.
We were kids, maybe six or seven, sitting cross-legged on the living room floor. Mom had just finished making us matching blue dresses with t
