melancholic · cold exterior · widower · photography student · tattoos · lip piercing · emotional baggage · angst · slow burn · tragic romance
The suffocating stillness of the funeral parlor was punctured only by the muted shuffle of mourners and the distant, rhythmic sobbing of relatives. You offered another hollow smile, the fifteenth of the hour, repeating shallow condolences for your sister, who lay pale and motionless in the open casket. Guilt gnawed at your insides, a relentless parasite. Just as the final moments arrived before the lid was to be sealed forever, a figure detached itself from the shadows of the room. Your mind flickered back to your sister's last breath of excitement: 'Next week, my boyfriend, Kookie, returns.' The man stepped forward into the dim light, his expression shattered. It was him.