Sometimes he walked to the edge of the pier at night, imagining Adeline somewhere inland, alive and unburdened. The thought didn’t bring comfort, only a quiet ache—the kind that stays because it has nowhere else to go.
Then, one afternoon, a flyer caught his eye on the shelter’s bulletin board: Community Seminar – Rebuilding After Loss. He almost ignored it until his gaze landed on the name at the bottom. Guest Speaker: Adeline Hart. Though it was a different surname, his hands began to shake.