The Backyard Scene That Split Him Open
In the middle of the spotless garden, under the harsh afternoon sun, a small figure dragged something far too heavy. Hannah. His Hannah.
Her shirt was too big, hanging off her shoulders like it belonged to an adult. Dust coated her knees. Her hair was pulled back messily, strands sticking to her face.
Her sneakers were worn thin, like she’d been made to do this more than once. She was struggling to pull a large black trash bag tied with rope, the sack nearly as big as she was. Her arms shook.
Her face was tight with effort, and when she stopped to catch her breath, she wiped her cheek with the back of her wrist as if she didn’t have time to cry. A few feet away, under a designer umbrella, Vanessa sat in a cushioned chair like she was at a resort. She sipped an iced coffee slowly, watching Hannah the way someone might watch a chore get done.
Like it meant nothing. Adrian’s breath caught. “HANNAH!”
His voice cracked through the yard.
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