I soon left the hospital, with my parents handling all the arrangements for Alice’s funeral. During this time, James didn’t even bother to make a single phone call.

On the day of the burial, the sun shone brightly. God himself seemed unwilling to let Alice depart in sadness, yet it only reminded me of the day she left me. I held the black lacquered box in my hands, while my mother stood beside me, holding a bouquet of flowers. The once heavy figure was now reduced to a small handful of ashes.

Whispers floated behind me.

“Why do we only see the child’s mother on a day like this? Where’s...