Ken took the money and rushed to the hospital, not even sparing me a glance.

The night wind was bone-chilling, and I crouched on the side of the road, huddling under the warm yellow streetlight.

I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t. Snowflakes fell on my eyelashes, cold and piercing.

A shadow loomed over me.

I looked up, and I would never forget this moment.

Candice held an umbrella, one hand shielding me from the snow, and the other reaching out to me, “Cloris... let’s go home.”

If I looked more closely, I’d see that her nose was red and she was occasionally sniffing.

Her brown pupils reflected my image,...