The man buried in this earth was just a stranger to me now.

I stood up and brushed the wet dirt off my knees.

I turned my back on the grave and walked down the long hill toward my parked car.

I didn’t look back once.

The dry wood crackled in the living room fireplace, throwing warm orange light across the painted walls.

Lily sat sideways in the big armchair with her legs dangling over the padded armrest.

She was reading a thick hardcover adventure book we had bought at the local bookshop that afternoon.