ia'

od hung in the air, he

d the wedding walked toward the entrance. Their black suits fading into the

lling the trigger, adjusted his suit as if h

the wreckage he had left be

eyes. My hands curled up as I

ress soaked in blood, her hands holding Carlos'

now, it

st the floors as they shoved past one another to escape. Even the

were Wanda, mysel

m standing over Carlos' body. His shoulders hung low, and his eye

lost in

ike la

e Wanda lost

dle of grief, sobbing into the void,

en an illness. This

anger burned its way

ase no one could fight. This was mur

self out of it, I turn

e hall and went outside the building,

just outside the venue. I barely caught sight of the man's face w

ed before I

ne roared to life. Tires shrieked against the pavement,

uietly, irritation t

got

the echoes of the wedding hall's earlier j

t steps, I turned a

hadn't

Carlos as though if she just held on tightly

oken, less like cries, and more li

placing a trembling hand

idn't

and turned to our father. "Dad," I

lost in the same haunted silence that had c

time firmer, as I reache

linc

w it-saw the weight of years pressing down on him, sa

together, we helpe

esist. She d

pping from her hair and falling to the ground

r, we buried

essed in black, their whispers

yes empty, her body shaking as

like this. The second time she had watc

time she be

I say? That things would be okay? That

o

this

ay, our father ha

g in him had broken. He barely ate. He barely spoke. He just sat in his

.She moved

to protect, was crumbling. So

d to s

eded to do something. Something to hold onto, somet

d at my workplace

ally stood, adjusting her uniform a

mach t

nt inside. My madam was behind her

spared me

d show up," she said casua

one for a few days, but I'm her

respond r

r her lap, studying me like I was

ria, you stopped coming to work.

I said quickly. "Ple

place

t like a pun

ked. "

r. "You were unreliable. I

se in my

job. I'll do extra hours.

ed to m

egg

pleaded with her to let me stay

dn't even

e called fo

a word, they grabbed me by th

te slammed sh

and another. In just moments, the sky eru

wn drenched, my fingers c

d no

like Wand

j

support

th

in mixing with the tears

ruel and I was