Before they could depart, they had one final duty to perform—for Adrian. Aurora lingered in thought. Adrian had found solace in the thought of family, even if its foundation had been fragile.
She, on the other hand, had never truly known a place to call home. This town had raised Adrian. He had grown alongside Jonathan, and though their bonds had been built on falsehoods, it was still his home.
He deserved to be laid to rest in the land that had cradled his life.She turned to Stephen.
"Here," she said quietly, her voice almost lost to the wind. "In the backyard."Stephen looked at her.
"Are you certain?" She gave a slow, resolute nod, swallowing the grief that threatened to rise.Together, they lifted Adrian's body—cold and heavy now in death—and bore him to the earth that would become his final resting place.
