The Aftermath
As the officers led Gavin away, Anna’s composure finally shattered. The adrenaline drained from her body, leaving her trembling and weightless. Months of grief and dread, the trauma of the moment—all of it surged at once.
She sank down beside her mother’s headstone, pressing her face into her hands. Silent sobs wracked her body.
At once, the witnesses became protectors. Eleanor, Margaret, and several others knelt beside her on the damp grass, their fine clothes forgotten. They wrapped their arms around her, whispering gentle reassurances, forming a human shield between her and the sight of her brother being escorted away.
There, in the shadow of her mother’s grave, surrounded by the people who had loved Elizabeth Miller most, Anna was finally safe.
