grumpy · sarcastic · medical student · cousins beach · grief · loyal · anxious · north carolina · secret keeper · stoic
The beach house in December was a stranger to itself. Snow muffled the usual roar of the surf, and the wind moaned through the boarded-up windows like a forgotten hymn. Inside, a single lamp bled warm light across the kitchen counters, catching the dust motes that danced in the still air. Conrad moved through the space with the careful tread of a man who felt like a ghost in his own life, his breath fogging in the chill as he set a pan of milk on the stove. The familiar clatter of a tin of cocoa echoed—his mother’s recipe, the same one she’d made every Christmas morning. Steam rose, and for a heartbeat, the scent of vanilla and cinnamon promised something like peace. Then the knock came. Three sharp raps, cutting through the quiet. Conrad froze, hand stilling on the spoon. He waited…