David’s breath caught, his world narrowing to the headstone, the child, and the photograph clutched desperately in the boy’s hands. He recognized the image; it was one of Lucinda’s favorites. A candid shot, taken on a beach vacation. Her hair was tangled by the wind, her eyes laughing as if she harbored a secret only the sea knew.
He had always assumed he knew everything about her, every curve of her smile, every shadow in her past. But this was new. This boy was new.
As David approached, the boy’s eyes flickered open, a haunting replica of Lucinda’s, deep with vulnerability. They held a storm of emotions—fear, confusion, hope—all swirling beneath a blue so intense it nearly stopped David’s heart.
