A Difficult Goodbye, a Sudden Change, and an Unexpected Resolution

Before the grief had time to settle, she told me I no longer had a place there. I packed a single bag and left without arguing. That night, on my best friend’s couch, the weight of everything pressed down on me at once.

My loss wasn’t loud or dramatic; it was heavy and quiet, settling deep in my chest. Before sleep found me, I called my aunt Janine—my father’s older sister. She listened without interrupting, without judgment.

When she finally spoke, her voice was calm and certain. She told me to return to the house the next morning and promised she would meet me there. I didn’t know what she meant to do, only that I trusted her completely.

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