Page 133 of Symphony for Lies

Layla stirred beside me, blinking groggily before waking fully with a jolt. Her eyes darted between me and my grandmother.

Hesitantly, she pressed two fingers to her neck.

Seconds passed, andshe shook her head.

My world stopped.

“Amelia.” Tears streamed down Layla’s face. “She—”

“Don’t say it.” My entire body trembled. “Please, don’t… say it.”

Layla pulled me into her arms.“She’s gone.”

Death came suddenly.

No matter what people say or how much time we may have, it still hits like a crashing wave, relentless and unforgiving.

The days blurred together. Voices murmured condolences as I stood by my grandma’s grave, but I barely registered them. Time passed, but I had no sense of it. I didn’t even know how I was still functioning.

But I knew one thing.

I was present.

The funeral was over. People had come to pay their respects. Friends, acquaintances, even Zane and his family. But it was all background noise, distant and unimportant because a part of me had been buried with her.

Slowly, the cemetery emptied. My friends, unwilling to leave me alone, hesitated by my side. I asked them to go, and one by one, they left. Until only I remained.

My gaze stayed fixed on the freshly turned soil.

After an immeasurable amount of time, I placed roses on my grandmother’s and grandfather’s graves. Another rose went on Susan’s grave, and finally, I walked toward my parents’ resting place, laying roses there as well.

The sky above was crystal clear, and the sun shone brightly, casting warm golden rays on my skin. It was peaceful and serene.

My legs moved on their own, guiding me through the cemetery, lost in thought.

“Amelia?”a voice I didn’t recognize called.

I turned around to face a man who stood near a gravestone. Deep lines creased his weathered face, and his white hair was neatly trimmed. He was tall, and his shadow stretched over me as he took a step closer.

“It is you, isn’t it?”

I blinked as recognition dawned.

“Mr. Watson?”

He nodded, offering me a small, gentle smile. “It’s been a long time.”

“It has.”

His gaze drifted over the cemetery thoughtfully. “Not the best place for a reunion, I suppose. But still, I’m glad to see you.”

There was something about his words that felt… fated.

“Have you kept up with the piano?” His eyes gleamed with curiosity.

I shook my head. “I became a veterinary assistant.”

“That’s a shame. I mean… It’s a shame you stopped playing. I always thought you had the makings of a great pianist.”