Two days later, the wind blew softly through the cemetery as people gathered around Marleen's grave. The clear sky above seemed wrong for such a sad day. Anastasia stood at the front, looking pale and blank. It was like the pain was too much for her to feel anything anymore.
Daniel stayed close to her, unsure if he should hold her hand or just stand there. She hadn't said much since the autopsy confirmed that the building collapse had caused Marleen's death.
"How did it come to this?" Daniel whispered, more to himself than to her, as the priest's voice echoed in the quiet air.
Anastasia didn't move or speak. Her eyes were on the coffin, but her mind seemed far away, trapped between the pain of losing her mom and the confusing state she was left in, struggling to make sense of it all.
As the funeral ended, the crowd slowly dispersed, offering their condolences in soft whispers before leaving Anastasia alone by the gravesite.
