Shattered

Althaia

“…What?” I breathed out, thinking I had heard wrong, but the look on his face told me otherwise. “What do you mean it was burned down?”

“Your dad sent us out here to see if we could get any leads, and we found it burned down.”

“Take me there. I want to see it.”

“Thaia, we’ve already been here long enough; I don’t want to risk your safety by staying here.” He shook his head at me, and I grabbed his arm, looking at him desperately.

“Please, Michael. I have to see it with my own eyes.”

“Don’t look at me like that.” He groaned and faced away from me. He was quiet as he kept looking out the window. “Five minutes. No more than five minutes, and then we leave.”

“That’s all I need.” I promised.

Just as we neared the boutique, my throat closed when I saw the burned building. I got out of the car, barely believing what I was seeing in front of me. The boutique my mother had worked so hard for was just gone.

Gone like she was. Vanished, leaving only memories behind.

“I