Ava's POV
That evening, Nora came by with fresh clothes.
“Don’t forget to eat,” she reminded me, giving me a look only a best friend could get away with.
“I won’t,” I said.
Work was the only thing keeping the storm inside me from breaking loose.
After she left, the room felt quieter. The steady beep of machines, the faint rhythm of Grandma’s heartbeat, it all sounded louder to me than it should have. It always did.
“Was that your friend, Ava?” Grandma asked with a soft smile.
“Yes,” I said, sitting beside her. “She’s my best friend.”
“And a good one,” she said. “I saw her at your grandmother’s funeral. She handled everything like she was family. You’ve got a knack for choosing the right people.”
My fingers stilled. “My grandmother’s funeral…” I said slowly. “The Stone family didn’
