Chapter 19

• Amelia’s POV
• The moment I stepped through the door, the weight of failure hung heavily on my shoulders. My family’s expectant eyes, wide and unblinking, followed my every move. I didn't need to look in their eyes to know; the air was thick with anticipation, their anxieties almost undeniable. The silence was broken only by the soft ticking of the grandfather clock, its pendulum swinging with the weight of the seconds that passed. A sorrowful exchange of glances danced between us, and with the fall of my gaze, their hearts sank.
• My grandma, Mrs. White, was the first to shatter the silence. “Well?" she demanded, her voice sharp as a knife's edge. “Amelia, darling, what happened?”