Chapter 87

“When did you last see him?” Mrs. Collins asked me, her voice laced with a curious undertone.

“Eight months ago…” I murmured. The words felt heavy, like an anchor in my heart. It seemed like a very long time ago, yet every memory of those days was as vivid as if it had been only yesterday.

Mrs. Collins' eyes softened, a warm smile gracing her features. “Then Alex is still among the living,” she said gently. “He came to me about four months ago. On the very day you visited in the afternoon, he was here in the morning. I’ve always wondered, didn’t you two cross paths?”

At her words, a surge of emotions overwhelmed me, and tears cascaded down my cheeks uncontrollably. “Is he really still alive?” I choked out, disbelief and hope warring within me.

“Yes, he is,” Mrs. Collins affirmed, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. Her touch was like a balm, easing the turmoil within me.

The relief was immense, like a burdensome rock being lifted from my heart. Yet, in its wake, a torrent of tea