The house was very quiet, but Zara stayed behind the door long after the sound of the last car faded.
Everyone had left—or so she thought.
Her fingers trembled on the lock, but she couldn't bring herself to open it.
She still heard the voices. Ezra's little laugh. Ella's soft goodbye.
And her own voice—screaming at them to leave.
She slid down slowly until she reached the floor. Her back pressed to the wall, breathing fast and uneven. The room blurred, but she didn't know if it was from the tears or the pounding in her head.
Her eyes darted across the room. The mirror was still shattered, glass scattered like angry stars across the floor. One of Ella's glittery clips had landed near the largest shard.
Zara crawled to it. Her hands shook as she picked it up like it was made of glass.
She cupped it in her palm and closed her fingers around it—like a prayer.
"They're gone," she whispered, and her head fell forward as a deep sob tore from her throat.
