This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.

The morning mist clung to the cemetery like whispered prayers, and Sarah Matthews found herself drawn once again to the weathered headstone that bore her grandmother's name. Eleanor Matthews had been gone for three years now, but the ache in Sarah's heart remained as fresh as the day she'd said goodbye. The roses she'd brought trembled in her hands as another wave of grief washed over her.

"I miss you so much, Grandma," she whispered, kneeling to place the flowers against the cold marble. "I don't know how to do this without you."

Sarah had always been close to her grandmother, but after losing both parents in a car accident when she was sixteen, Eleanor had become everything to her. Mother, father, best friend, and confidante all wrapped into one gentle soul who somehow always knew exactly what to say. Now, at twenty-five, Sarah felt more lost than ever.

The small town of Millbrook had been her home for as long as she could remember, but lately it felt more like a prison. Every street corner held a memory of her grandmother, every familiar face a reminder of what she'd lost. Her job at the local library provided some comfort, surrounded by the books that had always been her escape, but even that felt hollow now.

As she stood to leave, brushing dirt from her knees, Sarah noticed someone watching her from across the cemetery. A tall figure stood beneath an ancient oak tree, partially obscured by shadow and morning light. Something about his presence felt different, though she couldn't quite place why. When she looked again, he was gone.