SADE

The day of the funeral came quietly.

It was quiet and calm, nothing extraordinary. Just a gray morning that felt heavier than the others.

I stood in front of the mirror longer than usual, smoothing the black dress Kross had picked out for me the night before. It wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t tight. It covered me properly, like he wanted the world to look at me and see respect first and not judge me.

My hands trembled as I tied my hair back.

Today, I was stepping into his world.

And his ...