I had finally come home.
The drive back to Snowville felt shorter than I remembered, even though so much had changed inside me since I left. Barely a month in Jaford, and yet it felt like I'd lived several lifetimes in that time. Lewis drove while I sat in the passenger seat with the window down, letting the spring air rush over my face. Snowville had shaken off its long winter and stepped into something softer. The streets were lined with cherry blossom trees in full bloom, their pink petals drifting down like quiet confetti, settling on the windshield and sidewalks without a care in the world. It was the kind of beauty that made grief feel almost bearable.
Lewis slowed the car without me asking. He always knew.
