Ellen’s anger drained away, replaced by something softer. She felt an ache akin to release. She saw that Anna wasn’t an intruder, only another soul haunted by the same boy. “Why didn’t you reply to my note?,” Ellen asked. “We could’ve remembered him together.” Anna smiled faintly. “I didn’t feel ready.”
For a long moment, neither woman spoke. The rain slowed to a gentle patter, the cemetery breathing in rhythm with their silence. Ellen finally said, “He liked you. I remember him telling me you made the hospital feel less like one.” Anna nodded, tears shining. “He made the world feel kinder.”