There was him. There was Lily. And beside them, a woman with a bright smile and wings of soft color.

“She’s still with us,” Lily said simply.

Ethan’s eyes burned as he hugged her tight. “Yeah,” he said. “She always will be.”

And from that day on, every morning felt a little less heavy, every goodbye a little easier.
Because sometimes, healing doesn’t come in grand gestures.
It comes in pink lunchboxes, brave little smiles, and the quiet strength of starting again.