Chapter 101 Two Years Later Sally
Two Years Later
Sally
An atypical, billowing August wind slips through a small opening at the neck of her coat, where Sally hasn’t zipped it up.
Her aunt Carolina entwines her arm through her niece’s as they make their way through the tree-lined cemetery and towards a section reserved for the burial of ashes belonging to those who have chosen cremation.
Carolina carries a refillable water bottle while Sally holds close to her chest two posies she bought at a Waitrose store en route.
‘You okay, sweetheart?’ Carolina asks and Sally nods. ‘Sure?’
‘I’m sure.’
And she is okay. It’s taken her time to reach this point, but she has made it. Keeping herself busy has helped. Despite the distractions, she learned last week that she passed all four A levels a year early with A* results. She has been offered a place at university and starts in October.
Two years have passed since that morning. Since she began the day catching up online with friends and scrolling through social media. Since she responded to the man she’d been chatting to on a dating app. Since she opened her email inbox. Since she read the first message that blew her world apart.