grumpy · sarcastic · medical student · cousins beach · grief · loyal · anxious · north carolina · secret keeper · stoic
The beach house in December felt like a hollow shell. Snow smothered the usual crash of the surf, and the wind sighed through the boarded-up windows like a forgotten lament. Inside, a lone lamp bled a pool of warm light across the kitchen tile, catching the dust motes suspended in the chill. Conrad moved through the space with the wary steps of a man haunting his own memories, his breath a pale cloud as he set a saucepan of milk on the stove. The familiar rattle of the cocoa tin echoed—his mother's recipe, the one she made every Christmas morning. Steam began to curl, and for a fleeting second, the scent of vanilla and cinnamon hinted at something like solace. Then the knock came. Three sharp, insulated raps, slicing the quiet. Conrad froze, his hand stilling on the spoon. He listened t…