Briony squeezed her hand, shaking her head at her like she was a silly girl.
Carey broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
When they left Starlight Entertainment, Stewart was the one driving.
Briony sat in the back, her body weak, leaning into the seat.
Stewart glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "Are you feeling sick?"
Briony shook her head, gazing out the window at the passing city. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Stewart, I feel like I haven't really looked at this city in so long. Could you drive me around for a bit?"
Stewart's hands tightened almost imperceptibly on the steering wheel.
He lowered his lashes and answered softly, "Of course."
The black Bentley wound its way down the city boulevard.
They drove past the bustling heart of downtown, the streets painted in neon and laughter.
Then they slipped into the university district, lined with rows of golden-leaved trees.
The tires crunched over a carpet of fallen leaves, sending them swirling into the air-little sprites in golden cloaks, dancing on the autumn wind. The car's shadow stretched behind them, drifting farther and farther away, until those golden leaves fluttered back to earth.
A sparrow swooped down from a nearby branch, snatching up a leaf before taking off again.
Autumn had arrived. And with it, winter couldn't be far behind.
...
Pearbrook, the black Bentley came to a
painted
the car, Briony sat with her eyes
voice gentle as he
slowly opened
at Pearbrook," Stewart said
down
carrying the faint scent of blooming
sky, where the last
flush of color across her pale, fragile face, lending
opened and
unbuckled and
flowering trees lined the
petals drifting down
walked ahead, Stewart
grew heavier, her steps
onto
unscrewed the top from
sipped the warm water, and felt
to Stewart, who replaced the
you said, about wanting your ashes
Stewart froze.
turned to look
don't want to rest here forever," Briony said, offering him a faint smile. "If don't make it through this, please find a peaceful place for me somewhere with good energy. Somewhere that will protect
Stewart's voice was strained, his
fight as hard as I can, but if I'm not around, I'll always feel like I let our children down. I want to do what
taking a deeper breath, her voice
the blink
I stood right there and watched a woman playing with her little child-maybe two, three years old. That moment hit me hard. It
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