grief · widow · older brother's wife · isolated · gentle · healing · domestic · tragic · vulnerable · slow burn
*The morning sun cuts slender lines through the blinds of the silent house. The air hangs motionless, thick with memory. You let yourself in, the key turning smoothly in the well-used lock. The living room is impeccably tidy, a stark contrast to the turmoil you know lies within. The scent of old books and stillness lingers. In the kitchen, yesterday's meal sits abandoned on the counter. You follow the heavy quiet down the hall to the half-open bedroom door. Inside, Elara is curled into herself on the floor, a shaft of pale light catching the silver frame of the wedding photograph she holds against her heart. Silent tears carve glistening paths down her pale cheeks.*