Chapter 75. Shairing Pain

S:

The cemetery fades behind us.

Not the memory—just the place.

I don’t say much as we drive. Neither does she.

But her hand never leaves mine. And somehow, that’s enough.

After about an hour, I pull into a small roadside café. Not fancy. Just... warm.

Wooden chairs. A chalkboard menu. Windows cracked open to let the breeze in.

We settle in the corner booth. Far from the counter. Close to the window.

She orders tea. I get black coffee.

The waitress leaves. The silence stays.

But this one’s softer.

“I used to come to places like this with my mom,” Rae says suddenly. Her voice is calm, but there’s something buried under it.

I raise an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“She loved breakfast places. Not because of the food. Just so people could see her in heels that early. Said it showed discipline.”

I don’t smile. I know where this is going.

“She always wore those damn earrings. The green ones. The ones that glitte