Her heart tightened, the pain a dull, relentless ache, as though a hand had clenched around it. She turned back towards the door, the faint laughter from inside the house piercing her like shards of ice.
Outside, the snow continued to fall, soft and silent. She stared at it, memories surfacing unbidden.
Every year, when the first snow arrived, Sebastian had insisted they watch it together. He once believed in the superstition—that those who watched the first snow together would stay together forever. He had always held her close, shielding her from the cold, his warmth a barrier against the chill.
Now, the irony was almost cruel. The man who once protected her from the snow had left her to stand alone in it.
When she finally reentered the house, the warmth that greeted her felt hollow. The living room was dark; the laughter was gone. They had forgotten her entirely, retreating to their rooms without a second thought.
She smiled bitterly to herself, climbing the stairs to the bathroom. The shower’s hot water stung her icy skin, but it couldn’t thaw the cold in her heart.