Ezoic.
After the accident, some of Lily’s belongings were missing. I understood why, but that didn’t make things any easier. Each object was like a part of her locked behind a door I couldn’t open. Among them was her favorite yellow sweater. Soft, bright, and cheerful, it was her go-to weekend garment. When she wore it, I recognized her instantly.
I missed this sweater more than I thought I would.
Daniel was still asleep upstairs, his breathing irregular. I didn’t want to wake him. He needed rest, even in short, fragmented periods.
Aesoic.
I was staring at the distant fog when I heard it.
Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.
At first, I didn’t pay any attention. Our dog Baxter was used to staying outside in the morning. He had a cozy spot on the veranda and loved the coolness. If he wanted to come back in, he would bark once or twice. But this was different.
Azoic.
The sound was urgent. High-pitched. Almost panicked.
I slowly pushed back my chair, my heart pounding. Ever since what had happened, the slightest unexpected noise set my nerves on edge. I walked cautiously towards the back door.
« Baxter? » I called softly.
Aeolian.
The scratching stopped for a moment.
Then there was a short, sharp bark. The kind of bark he only used when something was wrong.
I unlocked the door and opened it.
Ezoic
Baxter stood there, eyes wide, chest heaving, ears pricked. His tail was stiff, not twitching as it usually did when he saw me.
And something yellow hung gently from her mouth.
For a moment, my mind refused to comprehend what my eyes were seeing.
Ezoic
« Baxter… » My voice faded away.
He stepped forward and carefully placed the package at my feet.
It was a sweater.
Ezoic
A soft yellow sweater with tiny mother-of-pearl buttons.
My legs almost gave way. I gripped the doorframe, my breath catching in my chest and throat.
« That’s not possible, » I whispered.
Ezoic.
I bent down to pick it up, my hands trembling so much that I could barely touch the fabric. Before I could even lift it, Baxter snatched it back and took a step back.
« Where did you find that? » I asked, my voice breaking. « Give it to me. »
He didn’t move. Instead, he turned his head towards the garden, his gaze fixed and determined. Then, without hesitation, he set off.
« Ezoic
‘Baxter!’ I shouted, hastily putting on my shoes.
I didn’t stop to get a jacket. I didn’t think about the cold or the damp. I followed him across the courtyard, the sweater clutched tightly in my hand.
He slipped through a narrow crack in the wooden fence, the same opening through which Lily used to sneak in during the summer to play in the vacant lot next door. I hadn’t thought about that place for months.
Aesthetic.
The ground was soft beneath my feet, the air was fragrant with dead leaves and earth. Baxter ran ahead, stopping every few steps to check that I was still following him.
I didn’t ask myself why I was following.
I knew I had to do it.
» Where
are you taking me? » I cried, my voice breaking.
He led me across the land, past overgrown weeds and rusty tools, to an old shed at the far end of the property. The door was crooked, barely fixed.
Baxter stopped at the entrance.
Ezoic
My heart was pounding when I entered.
The shelter smelled of damp wood and dust. Sunlight filtered through the warped planks, tracing pale lines on the floor. My breathing echoed loudly in the silence.
That’s when I saw him.
Aeolian
In the farthest corner, hidden behind an old rake and a cracked flowerpot, was a small nest made of clothes.
Familiar clothes.
I moved closer, my chest tightening with each step.
Ezoic
There were Lily’s things. A purple scarf. A blue hoodie. A white cardigan she hadn’t worn in years. And, nestled among them, a calico cat tenderly embraced three tiny kittens.
They were no bigger than my hands.
The cat slowly raised her head, looking at me without fear.
Ezoic
Baxter placed the yellow sweater next to them. The kittens immediately came closer, seeking warmth.
And at that moment, I understood.
This sweater did not come from the place I feared.
Aeolian.
He came from here.
I collapsed to my knees, my hand pressed against my chest, as the truth crashed down upon me.
It was not a coincidence.
Ezoic.
It was Lily’s initiative.
And Baxter had just brought me back to that.
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