Eloise unconsciously reached out and pulled Michael into a tight hug, the same way her brother had done when she was young. It was an instinctive gesture, one born of a time when life had been simpler, before the weight of fear and pain had tainted her existence.
Michael froze in her arms. His heart thudded in his chest, and for a fleeting moment, he forgot where he was. He heard Eloise’s voice, soft and fragile, whispering words that seemed to cut through the air with a strange familiarity.
“She would be happy if she knew you loved her,” Eloise murmured.
The words felt like a whisper from the past, from someone long gone. Michael’s breath hitched as the name slipped from his lips, almost without his consent. “I’m sorry, Melissa. I love you, Melissa.” The words felt hollow, but at the s
