Lucas drove in silence, his hands gripping the steering wheel harder than usual. Rose sat beside him, her fingers locked together on her lap. She still looked pale from all the crying and the stress of the past week. Lucas kept glancing at her, wanting to pull her close but also wanting to keep his focus on the road.
When he parked in front of his parents’ house, he exhaled deeply.
“Ready?” he asked softly.
Rose nodded. “Yes.”
They stepped out of the car and walked into the house. Gwen was the first to appear, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel. Her eyes softened as soon as she saw Rose.
“Oh, Rose… my condolences, dear,” Gwen said, pulling her into a warm hug.
“Thank you, Mrs. Creed,” Rose replied quietly.
Gwen touched her cheek gently, then turned to her son. “Lucas, are you both
