Tim's funeral was quiet. No reporters. No headlines. Just a small, private ceremony under a gray sky.
Melanie stood near the grave, dressed in black, her face unreadable as the priest read the final rites. Beside her was Ben, silent and steady, holding an umbrella over both of them.
Even after everything, she still showed up, for closure, for the memory of the brother she once knew.
After all, Tim was still her family. He made terrible choices. He hurt people. But he was also once a boy who laughed with her, who protected her, who dreamed alongside her.
"I hope you've finally found peace," Melanie whispered as the casket was lowered. A part of her mourned the man he could've been, the brother she lost long before he died.
Ben placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "You did what you could, Mel."
She nodded. "It just never feels like enough."
****
