The Day I Went Dark, My Family Broke

The memory made my whole body tremble.

It wasn't until Jacob handed me a tissue that I realized my face was already wet with tears.

I had thought I had let it all go, but reliving those moments still brought the same ache, and the tears came whether I wanted them to or not.

Back at the lab, I organized my report. The divorce was nearly finalized. Once I completed one last task, I would be ready to say goodbye to this city for good.

My grandfather had loved painting in oils. Before he passed away, he had lent his proudest work to the local art museum for exhibition. Now, I was going to reclaim my grandfather's only keepsake.

However, I hadn't expected to run into Chloe on my way back.

She blinked those big, innocent eyes. "Oh, it's you, Aunt Sarah. Uncle Lucian went to buy me milk tea and told me to wait right here."

I ignored her and tried to walk around, holding the painting tightly, but she stepped in front of me and snatched it out of my hands.

For a girl her size, she was shockingly strong.

"What's this? Let me see." Chloe tugged the canvas from its case.

Alarm bells rang in my head. I didn't dare grab for it outright. Pulling it too hard might tear it in half.

"Give it back," I snapped, glaring hard at her.

Chloe only smiled, then suddenly pointed behind me and shouted, "Uncle Lucian! Come help me!"

The second I glanced back, she pulled out a marker and drew a large, bright red scribble right across the center of the painting.

White-hot fury flashed through me, and I snatched the canvas from her hands.

She instantly dropped to the ground in an exaggerated fall, crying dramatically. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Please don't push me!"

Lucian came running at the sound, his voice sharp and accusatory. "Sarah, why did you push Chloe?"

Then, he saw the painting in my hands and the look on my pale face. It didn't take him long to piece it together. "Your grandfather's painting is ruined?"

His anger seemed to freeze solid. After a moment, he said slowly, "How much? I'll pay you back."

"No need," I said calmly, slipping the canvas back into its case.

I didn't yell or make a scene. I was so calm, even I could barely believe it. All I wanted now was to leave as quickly as possible.

For reasons I couldn't guess, Lucian, who usually avoided me, actually followed me and caught my hand. "Sarah, what's going on with you?"

Even though he was trying to keep his voice level, I still heard a faint thread of unease in it.

I didn't look back. I pulled my hand free and headed straight toward the subway station.

"Chloe's just a girl from the countryside. She hasn't seen much. I'm sure she didn't mean it," he said, still trailing after me. "I have a friend who does restoration work. Give me a week and I'll get you one exactly the same."

He kept talking, following me down the stairs.

Maybe I really had let it go. The bitterness and resentment that used to gnaw at me had gone still, like dead water that no longer rippled.

Soon, the subway arrived.

"It's fine. Don't bother," I said.

There wasn't even a week left anyway.

Those were my last words before I stepped through the subway doors.

Lucian reached out to grab me, but he was too late. Through the glass as the train pulled away, I thought I saw panic flicker in his eyes.

Maybe it was just my reflection. Or maybe I was imagining it.