Chapter 1 - The Stubborn Lid
"Clara, stop fighting with that damn plastic," Elena snapped, her voice cutting through the quiet kitchen like a rusty blade. She stood by the sink, her knuckles white as she gripped the edges of the porcelain. "You are going to spill the whole thing all over the floor, and I do not have the patience to clean up your mess today."
"I can open it myself, Mom," Clara said, her small fingers straining against the stubborn green lid of the container. Her braided pigtails shifted over her shoulders as she twisted harder, her face flushing with frustration. "Grandpa likes it fresh. If you help, the seal breaks wrong."
"Your grandfather hasn't eaten a home-cooked meal in this house for three years, Clara!" Elena slammed a glass down on the counter, the sharp crack making the girl flinch. "Why do you keep pretending he is sitting out there waiting for you? He is gone. We buried him under the heavy oak in the back grove, or have you completely forgotten the funeral we both attended?"
"He's not gone," Clara whispered stubbornly, finally popping the lid off with a soft suction sound that smelled faintly of cinnamon and old paper. She looked up with clear, unblinking eyes. "He said he’d be waiting by the bench. You just never look out far enough to see him."
May you like
Elena stared at her daughter, her breath catching in her throat as a cold shiver crawled up her spine. Before Elena could cross the room to grab her, Clara slipped out the glass patio door.
---
