: : : Sophie : : :
I can’t bring myself to get close to Jayden’s coffin, but I don’t wanna not be here. So instead of being down there with everyone, I sit on the bench atop a hill, silent, and unmoving. From here, I can see everything — the crowd, the coffin being lowered down, and the way the dirt slowly covers what’s left of him.
I wish I could be down there with him… But I can’t move.
I don’t walk up to say my final goodbye. I don’t stand beside the others. I can’t.
I just sit here, watching from a distance.
Kieran sits beside me, his hands clasped together, his eyes hidden behind his dark sunglasses. He doesn’t say a word, and I appreciate that. He understands.
We both sit in silence as we watch the procession. The elders are saying their final prayers as the dirt continues to
