Chapter 78

The house is dark as I close the front door behind me. The only light source creating dead shadows against the walls is the brightly shining full moon that peak through the openings and it is evident that I haven't been home for a while, as a thin layer of dust covers the furniture. The silence is broken by the sound of my footsteps echoing through the empty house. Even my footsteps sounds tired and somber as, I enter lonely the living room, carrying a suitcase. I pause for a moment, taking in the sight before me. My eyes wander to the cozy armchair in the corner, where Mia use to love curling up with a book or laid spread out fallen asleep while watching one of her movies.

"I miss the way you'd get lost in the stories you lived yourself into, Mia." My voice cut through the darkness as I sit the suitcase down and walk toward the armchair. Bending down, I pick up a bookmark that must have slipped beneath the cushion. The realization of the memories embedded in every object begins to ov