Julian stood near the door, accepting condolences.
Victoria remained seated, staring at the floor.
I walked toward Chloe.
Her face looked pale beneath the soft lighting. She wore a white dress decorated with tiny embroidered flowers, and her dark hair had been carefully brushed.
I touched her cheek.
It felt cool, but not as cold as I expected.
“My sweet girl,” I whispered, “Grandma loves you more than anything.”
Then I heard it.
A faint scraping sound.
At first, I thought someone’s shoe had moved against the floor.
But the sound came again.
Closer.
From beneath the satin blanket covering Chloe’s hands.
I leaned forward.
“Chloe?”
Her eyelids fluttered.
I nearly collapsed.
Then her lips moved.
“Grandma.”
The word was barely audible.
I bent closer, trembling.
“Sweetheart, can you hear me?”
Her fingers shifted beneath the blanket.
And then she whispered the sentence that shattered everything I believed about my family.
